Exiled
by fantasyra
Summary: In a world of parahuman superpowers teaming with hero's and villains, a teenage Taylor Hebert meet's a kind teenage man who, like her, is far more than he appears. What begins as the start of a promising career as an independent hero team looking for ways to make Brockton Bay a better place, quickly turns into a life of villainy, with the same goals, and enemies on all sides.
1. Divergence Annette 1

Special thanks to EA for the Mass Effect Trilogy and Wildbow for the epic tale that is Worm. Materia Blade, MarkerIV, and TheBSDude for looking through this fic.

Standard Disclaimer. I don't own Worm, or Mass Effect. Just playing with their epic stories.

**Divergence; Annette 1**

"You're…?"

I took a stab at answering the question. "Taylor. Eighteen."

"I would have been in college…"

"You were. Well, _she_ was. Mom met a magnificent, dorky guy with a warm heart and an awful lot of passion. He worshiped her, and she… I think he gave her permission to do what she really wanted to do in life, at a time when her parents were being controlling. Her mother never really forgave my dad for luring you off the track she'd set for her, getting you pregnant with me so early in life."

Annette smiled. "What did she end up doing?"

"Teaching. She was a professor at a University, teaching English."

Annette's eyes moved to her book on the table, but when she responded, it was in negation. "I can't really see that, I'm afraid."

I nodded. I remembered what mom said she was studying when she met dad. As Annette took a moment to gather her thoughts I looked around the cafe. It was nice, but kind of what you would expect for a place that catered to the white collars in the offices around us. Not really my thing but I could see what Annette liked about it.

The table we were sitting at was outside, which was nice as the day was pretty. Not too cold at the moment though it was very chilly this morning when I got off the express. The other dinners around us were dressed in their working finery which meant respectable dresses and suits. Not quite upscale as I thought of it, but definitely working on it. A far cry from the kinds of people I normally associated with.

I was brought out of my wanderings when Annette asked her next question. "Your father?"

"He's dead too." I answered bluntly which seemed to shock Annette a bit. "At least, I think he's dead. Probably best if he thinks _I'm_ dead even if he's not. I… didn't have the courage to check, at the end. Before…, we weren't exactly on speaking terms and no one who knew me offered information one way or the other. It was… It was a really hectic time, there at the end..."

Annette nodded sadly though I could see she was somewhat confused by my answer. "I'm so sorry. It can't be easy… I, don't know what to say. Saying you have my condolences seems really under par for what you've lost…"

"It's alright. Thanks for your concern."

The silence between us came again which allowed me to study her. Something I hadn't directly done since I sat down at her table. She looked so much like mom, which shouldn't have surprised me any since she was biologically identical to my mother. Same long brown hair so similar to my own. Soft cobalt blue eyes that shown with a deep intelligence. Both were thin but not disturbingly so but I didn't think any differences would have been in that regard.

Still, regardless that I was expecting the similarity's it was sort of shocking. Though as I continued to study her I noticed she didn't have moms scar to the side of her left eye. It was probably the first physical difference I noticed between them. For the life of me I couldn't remember if mom ever told me where she got it from. I wanted to say it was from when she ran with Lustrum, but couldn't say why I thought that. Maybe dad mentioned it once…

"I… I admit I'm finding myself more and more at a loss for words, as my curiosity is sated. I feel like I should say something meaningful, so you didn't spend all this time trying to find some woman without anything to say. It would be easier if I knew what you wanted. It makes it hard to tailor my response."

"I'm not expecting anything profound or special," I assured her. "I thought I'd visit, refresh myself on what she looked like before I move on. I… I'm sort of in the same boat as you. There's a lot I want to say and explain, when it comes to _me_, I want to raise ideas that have been crossing my mind lately, but I'd have to tell a really long story before I could even begin, and I'm not sure I'm brave enough to tell that story."

"Do you want to try?"

"Telling the story?"

I blew out my breath as I thought about it. Did I really want to? At heart, this was sort of what I wanted to do. Why I tracked her down. Still. "A lot happened…"

"I'm a good listener. You seem like you could use someone to hear your story."

"It's not a 'nice' story."

"I'll try and keep that in mind."

I nodded. "If you're sure… Well, I guess it really started when my mom died. Car accident, just one of those random things you know? I had a hell of a time with high school. By most people's standards I fell in with a bad crowd, though I love the friends I made at that time. My first real friends, truth be told and I surprisingly can't imagine better. But it came at a cost and my dad and I parted ways…"

"I'm not sure I understand. Does this have something to do with," Annette waggled her fingers. "Powers?"

I smiled thinking back to those days. Back when things weren't so complicated. When all I had to worry about was staying alive. "In a lot of ways, yeah, it does. Especially with my dad."

"I guess I might have to hear the whole story before I could contribute," Annette said. "But a lot of people go through hard experiences and I'm pretty sure they feel something like you're feeling."

"Ever since y- since my mom died, it's been this constant, unending struggle to find some kind of peace. Peace with her death, school, and all the shit that happened later. The harder I tried, the further it went out of my reach. Then I meet Sebastian. Not that didn't come with its own struggle's but after… well, now- now I'm _here_ and it's right _there_, waiting for me to take it and I'm suddenly wondering if… If I do what I am setting myself to do, will it last? Will the cost be too great... I, I don't know…"

"Sounds like you can't bring yourself to come to terms with whatever decisions you made, or maybe it is the decisions you have to make going forward?"

"It's been..._ Fuck_, you're just a stranger, and I'm burdening you with this shit you don't understand. I don't- I-"

I stopped, choking on the lump in my throat.

Annette stood from her chair. "Come on."

I shook my head. People were looking. I stared down at the table, and the upside-down book cover. "Y- you should go. I- I picked this spot because I knew you'd be leaving to go back to work, didn't wanna keep you too long."

Annette reached down, taking hold of my wrists, where I'd jammed my hands in my pockets. She stopped short as one hand came free and clunked against the side of the chair, limp and dangling. I avoided looking upward so I wouldn't have to see the surprise on her face.

"Hav- haven't gotten used to it. Had a better one," Taylor mumbled. "Before...shit happened. Embarrassed self on train when I forgot not to use it."

Still avoiding looking at Annette, self-conscious, I used my left hand to try and jam the artificial arm into my jacket pocket, failed, and then partially stood, to get a better angle.

Annette took advantage of the movement to fold me into a hug. I stiffened. Flight or fight instincts honed through the crucible that was my past kicked in. Options for escape, both the arms around me and the threat of someone being so close, rampaged in my mind. Panic at being touched warred with how nice it felt. Familiar in the way half-forgotten memories were.

"I think," Annette said, "You have plenty of time to find that peace you were talking about."

_Not nearly as much time as you think…_

I didn't move, with my face mashed into Annette's shoulder. It felt so good and it's been so long since I received one of my mom's hugs. I couldn't help myself. For just a moment I let myself _pretend_.

I was eight, and all was well, even the evils and disasters of the world were fringe things. Endbringers in other countries, bad guys who I never had to pay attention to. Home, peace, safety. It's been so long since I felt that anywhere but with Sebastian I'd almost forgotten…

"I don't know what happened," Annette murmured. "I'm almost afraid to ask. But I don't think you can let one decision you made in a time of stress cause you so much grief."

"Thousand decisions," Taylor mumbled into her shoulder.

"What?"

"It's not just the one decision. It's all of them, pressing down on me." I swallowed thickly as I tried to choke out my next few words. " I'm- I was a monster, Annette."

"Looking at you right now, I find that hard to believe."

It wasn't the right answer. It didn't make me feel better. Just the opposite. "You have _no_ idea..."

Annette pulled back holding my arms as she looked me in the eye. "That's why you looked me up, isn't it? Were you, I don't know, looking for a second opinion?"

I felt a tear at my trek down my face. "Kinda… I know you're not her, but... I, when I was home, I would talk to her grave. It made me feel better but there was always something off about it. I couldn't get feedback from her, she couldn't ask questions. It's a lot to ask, and if you're not comfortable with this, I'm gone. You don't have to worry about me. I'll never bother you again."

I didn't say I wouldn't be able too. She didn't need to know about that.

Annette helped me to sit before retaking her chair looking me in the eye the entire time. "I'm worried you might take my reactions to be the same as what your mother would give. I could do more harm than good, even just listening."

Somehow, I doubted she could do anymore damage to me than I had already done. "I think, that is what I need the most. An honest opinion from someone unbiased. From someone who wasn't there to help give me the perspective I need…"

Annette was quiet for several moments before she nodded. "Are you looking for absolution? It sounds so stupid to say it like that but, it almost sounds like you're looking for approval or something."

I winced. "Not absolution. I don't expect approval for the things I've done. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get it, no matter who I talked to. Well, except from Sebastian… but that's a special case. I guess, I'm just looking for a fresh set of eyes on what happened. It won't change anything, but maybe, maybe I'll understand it better I guess?"

"Okay. Why don't we try the beginning? What do you think was the catalyst for when things started?"

I snorted wiping my eyes and pulling myself together. A question I could actually answer. "I bet you're probably thinking it was when I trig… when I manifested powers." I smiled sadly at the surprised look on her face. "It was actually about three months later."

"I assumed, but it's still shocking to know you have them. For you, it had been going on for what, thirty years? More? It's only been a few here. It's all still pretty new."

_Don't I know the truth about that…_

Part of me hoped the glow; the shine of the idea would last forever. Like it was with me just before everything went south. But I knew it wouldn't. It was already starting, even if these people didn't know it. One look at their news feeds showed all the proof anyone needed.

"Yeah. So, about three months after I got powers…"

*****Authors Note:**

Pre Story Notes:

-Crossover, Worm with Mass Effect 1-3. All set in Wormverse.  
-My first Worm fic  
\- Setting the story so parts are fairly recognizable. This segment is the only one where this happens. The first Story Arc is called Divergence for a reason.  
-Yes, there will be segments that take place in the 'Present' while most of the story takes place in the past.

.  
Character Notes:  
Taylor-No graphic changes from cannon, though she's coming out less self sure in the beginning than she did in Worm. This changes as the story, and her character evolves. The story, aside from interludes, is from Taylor's perspective. Not a style I'm used to writing, so feel free to let me know if I slip.  
Shepard-Renegade style Shepard. Biotic/Engineer. People may notice some serious character issues with Shep, this is intentional and will be explained as the story, and his character evolves. Story is pretty centric around both characters.


	2. Divergence 1

**Divergence 1.1**

My thoughts were on Emma Barnes as the bus jerked forward forcing me to catch myself or sprawl across the seat I was trying to occupy. I ignored the rumble of the bus as is picked up speed. I ignored the stares from the other passengers. At least, I tried too. An obvious high school teen on a public bus, covered in soda and juice splotches, and reeking of said beverages, tended to draw attention. My luck held true as I ended up drawing the wrong kind of attention. No help, no encouragement, nothing but whispers, gawking stares, sneers. Just another wonderful day in my life.

Just another day in a year and a half long campaign to break me. My entire high school life. Freshmen year wasn't so bad I guess. At least last year I didn't have to hide in the girl's toilet to be able to eat my lunch in peace. Of course, that was after they found my hiding spot under the bleachers. Though in retrospect, it wasn't that original of a hiding spot to begin with. Probably why it took them so long to find it, too obvious. Sadly, once they did they went out of their way to make sure I wouldn't go back. They didn't like not being able to find me when they wanted. Can't harass someone who can't be easily found.

Then this year started with the same old slow escalation of pranks, snide comments, remarks, and attacks. All of it building to the incident three months ago. That incident led me to being hospitalized for a week. Psychotic break down the doctors said. Something else entirely, I knew.

Since then, none of the assaults had been as graphic, but that didn't mean much. They still pushed hoping the next time I broke, I would stay broken. They kept the pressure on me every moment. Degrading emails, encouraging others to whisper about me. Attacks against myself or my belongings whenever they could get away with it. Always pushing me, trying to wear me down, make me react.

I swallowed thickly still trying to ignore the stares and whispers of the people around me. I would be so easy just to go Carrie on the school. It would be _so_ easy. I can't say I didn't think about it a time or ten. They had no idea what they created last January. They had _no_ idea that if I lost control, it wasn't just possible I would hurt them. It was a certainty. They only question would be if I could regain control before my power killed them.

Or, if I would even try.

I didn't want that. I didn't want to be a villain. Ever since my power became active, all I wanted was to find a way to be a hero. Make a difference. Like Alexandria or Miss Militia. Or even Glory Girl. Turn this negative into a positive.

Not that my power was anything compared to theirs. They were _real _heroes, with _real_ powers. I wasn't invulnerable to everything from bullets to Endbringers. I couldn't fly or shoot lasers out of my hands. I couldn't stand toe to toe with the big name villains and expect to survive.

All I could do was control bugs. Not exactly hero material. But that is what I wanted more than anything. It's why I held back against my tormentors. I knew if I retaliated, even without using my powers, it would escalate until I had to use my bugs to stop them. The second I did that, I lost. Over the last thirty years that people had been manifesting powers, laws sprung up to deal with them. Any parahuman who used their powers, in some cases even marginally, against a normal human went to jail. Or the Birdcage, if you were really dangerous enough. Or if your crime or power was scary enough. In extreme cases where there was a high enough body count, or if they couldn't get you inside the Birdcage for whatever reason, they put out a kill order on you. Not only was it legal to do it, but most of the time, bounties were even placed on you to make it more enticing for it to happen.

Fuck that.

I wasn't ruining my life. Not for them. Not for this. Besides, I was better than that.

Brockton Bay, like pretty much any cape city, had a lot of gangs. Not the usual run of the mill gangs either, but cape gangs. They did pretty much the same stuff as regular gangs, but just bigger. Deadlier. There were several in the city, and each of these from the minor to the major had a cape at the head. Gangs like Empire Eighty Eight had over twenty they could call on. Serious super villains with back up, agendas, and connections. Those guys committed crimes or killed people and got away with it. Those kinds of capes usually didn't stay in jail long Wasn't that uncommon to see the occasional transit to the Birdcage get intercepted if the gang was big or strong enough. It happened more than a few times.

The Bay also had its heroes. Like the Protectorate. The Wards, mostly teens like me who had powers, but more organized with expectations each would join the Protectorate when they got old enough.

Then there were groups like New Wave. The only hero family anywhere who openly proclaimed who they were, and yes, they were parahumans. They had regular 'day jobs' and everything, doing their superhero thing at night or whenever they happened to come across a crime in progress. They still wore costumes like the rest of the capes worldwide, but they didn't hide their true identity.

Unwilling to think about all that anymore I looked at my stained and rumpled backpack before I reached for it. I cringed at my first look at the damage. The first thing I noticed was that my notebook was practically ruined. Grape Juice had soaked through at least a quarter of the pages with the ink already running in places. I felt myself tearing up just looking at it.

Over two months of work… Gone. I had everything in that notebook. All my preparations, all my contingency ideas for my cape life. All my costume variations, even my research into various different uses different bugs could provide for a wide range of possible scenarios. With all the harassment from Emma, Madison, and Sophia I wrote the whole thing in code, from bottom to top. I wouldn't be able to recover all of it, not with this damage. It would probably take me a week just to salvage the bulk.

I felt the tear fall from my eye as I looked down at, what was essentially, all the hopes for my future life as a hero ruined.

I was so focused on my notebook I didn't even feel the bus stop. Nor did I know anyone had gotten on until I felt something drape across my shoulders startling me enough to make me jump. A young man, couldn't have been much older than me, adjusted what I assumed was his hoodie. I sat stone still looking at him with what I could only imagine was a deer in the headlights look. He ignored me pulling the hood over my head adjusting it until it partially obscured my face.

I bowed my head not knowing what to do with this. I wasn't used to anyone caring, except for my dad, much less a complete stranger. I felt my shame burn along my cheeks as I tried to make myself even more unnoticeable in my seat. His kindness seemed to compound my problems even more.

I watched the stranger sit next to me, folding his muscular arms. He just sat there looking at the other passengers. His hair was cut shorter than I'd ever seen any teen wear except for the Jr. R.O.T.C kids who planned to go into the military. His face had an intensity to it that I'd never seen in anyone before. As if he could project his disappointment in the people around us through his striking green eyes. Or how he clinched his strong jaw poorly hidden by the light goatee he was trying to grow in. Even the way he held himself, relaxed but somehow still rigid as if he expected he would have to beat his point into everyone he looked at.

Seemingly willing, even _eager,_ to do so if given the slightest encouragement.

As I continued my silent observation I noted how built he was. Not freakish or overblown like I'd seen some jocks get up to but very well-toned. Lean muscle with just enough bulk that told me he worked out a lot shown through his faded ACDC T-shirt that was stretched a bit tightly across his chest. Even his jeans were form fitting enough to see he probably ran track or at least took the time to balance out his workouts so that every part of him was well tuned. He couldn't have been much older than me but there was something about him that made him seem a lot older.

The people he looked at stopped whispering. None of them would meet his gaze for more than a moment before they got uncomfortable and wouldn't meet them again.

I hitched my shoulders a bit lower. I was suddenly even more aware of the fact I was covered in juices and soda and the fact, sitting next to me, he could probably smell it. As the silence stretched on I could feel every sticky damp part of my clothes against my skin. Even the weight of the hoodie draped over me settled on my consciousness.

Of course, it made perfect sense in my world view that at this low point in my life, a guy would pay attention to me. It didn't help that the boy next to me was good looking and I looked like I just stepped off the set of a Nickelodeon special.

"Thanks…" I half whispered to him.

His light baritone replied. "No problem."

His voice held a sureness to it I couldn't explain. I only recognized it because I'd never heard anyone talk that way. It was strangely comforting, yet hard. No, not hard I thought. Firm.

We passed the next two stops that way. Me sitting hunkered in his sweater like it could protect me from the world, and the stranger frowning at anyone who dared to look my way. I'd never rode the bus and felt that safe. It was a surreal experience. Feeling safe, and not being home.

When he finally did speak I couldn't help but jump.

"Can't be easy." The strange teen stated.

His voice caught me off guard. So much was said in the tone alone. Like he _knew_. "S...sorry?"

I looked at him. Not fully but out to the corner of my eye. He still wasn't looking right at me. Still frowning at the few gawkers brave enough to still whisper about me. "Carrying a weight like that. After a while, sort of feels like living with a gun to your head. Any misstep and it could go off. Every time you get jostled, it feels like the last. Can't be easy."

"W...what makes you think th, that?"

"Experience." He answered without a trace of hesitation. I felt myself blink. By his tone of voice alone, I could almost believe he meant it.

He finally turned to face me fully. His eyes took me by surprise. There was something there. Some combination of sadness, strength, and protectiveness. So many emotions flickered in that moment I couldn't even guess at the range.

I blinked several times as the moment passed. He adopted a more playful look complete with a slight smirk. "So, since this has the potential to get weird, I'm Shepard. Sebastian Shepard."

His smirk was infections and I couldn't help but smile slightly back. "Taylor Hebert."

For a moment I forgot my circumstance. His firm grip didn't crush mine but left me with the impression it, like everything else about him, was controlled. The rest of the ride to my stop passed in silence neither of us broke. It was comfortable.

Once we did reach my stop I felt my flush return to my cheeks again. I moved to return his hoodie but he stopped me by rising so I could exit while shaking his head.

"Keep it."

"I couldn't…"

"Sure you can. I can always get another sweater. However, you only get this one chance to finish your journey. I'll not pry, not my business, but you look like you've had a nasty day. The chance to make it better is worth the price of cloth."

I rose picking up my pack looking fully into his face. He had a kind smile. "If you're sure…"

He nodded easily. "Absolutely. There can never be enough kindness in the world. Maybe one day, you'll help someone else. Brighten their bad day in a way that makes a difference. Even if it's just the cost of some of your time, or a hoodie. I've learned a long time ago, it makes more of a difference than most people think it will."

He didn't keep his voice down and I could see the effect his words had on the other passengers. Several looked away from us, as if they were ashamed of their inaction. I felt myself tearing up again. This time in gratitude instead of in anger or frustration. I nodded unable to say more before making my way off the bus and walking the last block or so to my house.

As I did, I turned Sebastian's words over in my mind. My costume was almost ready. Even without my notes I could finish the last few bits within a week. It was then I realized I'd been procrastinating over taking the plunge and starting my career as a hero trying to out think all possible contingencies. Originally I had planned to make my debut this summer, continuing my planning and training for that time. I thought it would take that long to save up the money I would need for things I couldn't make myself. Now, as I thought about this random act of kindness from a stranger my thoughts realigned.

I'd go next week.

Still thinking I unlocked the back door to my house making my way to the upstairs shower that had my name in it. I dropped my pack on the floor stepping into the tub before stripping out of my clothes. The only one that didn't end up on the bottom of the tub was the hoodie Sebastian gave to me. I carefully folded it up and put it on the toilet before turning on the water, getting it as hot as I could stand it. Hopefully I could salvage my clothes, but their condition was far down on my thought list at the moment.


	3. Divergence 2

**Divergence 1.2**

I groggily turned to look hatefully at my alarm clock. The evil contraption sat there innocently, beeping away signaling that it was 4:45. I reached over turning it off allowing the pleasant thought of just going back to sleep roll through my head before deciding against it. I knew if I didn't get up for my run, it would be easier to not do so the next day. It would ruin months of effort.

I rose from the comfortable hollow of blankets and fought the chill in the air as I went about my routine. Morning necessities, nightclothes in the hamper, running clothes thrown on. I hoped the spring chill wouldn't last much longer. As I reached my closet I looked through my old sweatshirts. After discarding most of them as being too heavy my eyes fell on the black hoodie draped on my chair.

I picked it up giving it a serious look. I didn't recognize the material but it was slightly thick and surprisingly lighter than I thought it would be. The only break from the dark black was on the right breast. A white 'N7' was stitched there followed by a red triangle. I didn't recognize the logo or what it was supposed to mean but I wasn't exactly up to date on the latest trends normal people got into either.

When I looked I didn't see a wash tag inside. Custom made? I shook my head as my feelings ran away from me. He gave me a custom made hoodie and didn't even think twice about it, just so my walk home would be a little better.

Who the hell did that?

No one I knew. Hell, no one I ever heard of either.

Decision made I put it on grabbing a small tube of pepper spray that my dad insisted I carry with me on my runs. Silly considering what I was capable of, but he didn't know that and I'd promised him I would carry it. As I passed his door I noticed he was still asleep. He'd be awake by the time I got back though. He had work today. I'd get to see him when I got back at least.

As I locked the back door behind me I started with my stretches. I'd learned my lesson when I first started not to just set off without them. I winced just thinking of the craps I earned that day. Thank god it only lasted a few hours. Otherwise it would have earned the top spot for wretchedness, even over my monthlies. As it was, it earned a close second, hence why the pre stretches. Once done I started out, heading east along one of several routes I varied through.

It was nice getting up earlier than usual to do my run. It was cooler than I liked but that didn't last long as got into a rhythm. My exertions and clothing kept me plenty warm. Warm breath fogged out as I exhaled contrasting with the chill air as I breathed through my nose. At the fourth block of my route I ramped up my pace from a jog to a full run taking in the city as I sped past. Only people with a long commute were even awake at this hour. The streets were empty giving the areas I passed the feeling I'd imagine a ghost town would have, but in a good way. As I made a left turn at Clement and Rawlings the twilight hour slowly faded as the skyline brightened with the rising sun.

I never bothered with counting blocks or miles for my runs. I just let myself fall into the rhythm occasionally pushing myself further when I felt a certain route was too easy or didn't give me the burn I was looking for. It led to longer routes or crisscrossing patterns depending on the area of the city I was running though. However, in Brockton Bay anyone going east, no matter which direction you came from, ended up in the same location. The Boardwalk.

Like all tourist traps, I imagined, The Boardwalk was designed and maintained for maximum impact. Shops galore, eateries, various other establishments all tied together along a stretch of shoreline tastefully maintained to give the most visual impact it could. All high priced enough to make sure the rich had a good time and felt important, while the modest or poorer locals who could barely afford a coffee, fifteen bucks a piece was fucking ridiculous, feel like coming here was some kind of special outing.

The Boardwalk even had their own security. Rough looking guys who kept the panhandlers or lesser criminals away. Granted, they couldn't stop the majority of the city's villains from doing something but even _they_ understood the importance of the Boardwalk. Any of the city's gangs who decided to hit here would quickly find themselves on the bad side of every other villain and hero in the city. It was too important to city revenues or something. Having been raised here I understood it was one of those unwritten things everyone played by in the unending power struggles of either side of capes. However, what made the Bay's Boardwalk distinct from any other shoreline city was the view. Even natives of the Bay were drawn to it. It was also another added element why villains so rarely, if ever, caused problems here.

I rounded the last turn of my run before slowing down just as the street gave way to the wooden walkways. I kept myself from just stopping, instead slowing down keeping a slow but steady pace. It was still early but I could see vans parked in front of various business unloading supplies for the start of the day. Nothing was open yet and there were very few people about here. Wouldn't be for another hour or so. Merchants of the Boardwalk were very predictable that way. The running joke was if you lived near here, you knew the time of day based on what was happening. It was something I could agree with just based on what I saw every morning.

I slowed down to a steady walk heading to the end of one of the piers. I didn't come here every day to see them. There, floating in the sky above the bay, was the Protectorate Base of Brockton Bay. Like a small artificial island it hovered majestically in complete disregard to the laws of the universe. Well, the laws that ascribed to every non cape on the planet.

The skyline was brightening up in its kaleidoscope of pre-dawn colors. The sounds of the water as it splashed against the pier adding their notes to the visual display served as a picturesque backdrop to the floating structure of chrome and glass. Usually when I got here the sun had already risen so this was the first time I got to experience the scene like this.

Having finally winded down from my run enough to stop I took in a deep breath of the sea air. I hadn't walked the full length of the pier yet. Just enough so that stopping wouldn't hurt my return run. I would have to start my runs this early from now on. This was nice.

The sound of clicking metal broke me from my musing. I turned to look toward the end of the pier noticing for the first time that someone else was also enjoying the view.

Sitting in one of the benches facing the water sat a teen. The clinking I heard was the zippo he used to light a cigarette. From where I was I could see the side of his face as he looked outward as if he was deeply lost in thought. Even though I recognized him easily enough from the incident yesterday, it was his sweater that caught my attention first. It was identical to my own.

I stood undecided as I watched him pick up a thermos and pour himself a cup of something. Wisps of steam flowed from the cup as he sealed the thermos back up before taking a sip. For a while he just held the cup in his hand while taking slow drags from the cigarette staring forward. I wondered if he even noticed I was here.

_Did_ I want him too? Did I _not_ want him too?

I was so horrible with this kind of thing. Part of me wanted to forget I noticed him. Just turn around and start my run back home. The other part of me was horribly curious about him. I looked around taking note that for all practical purposes it looked like we were the only people awake at this time of the morning.

At least if I embarrassed myself it would just be him that knew it. As I looked back at him I thought I could live with that.

_Okay, you can do this…_

I took a few halting steps toward him building up my courage. Just as I walked into his peripheral vision a horrible thought struck me.

Yesterday, he saw me saturated in juices and soda, looking a wreck. At just that moment I saw an image of myself. Unflattering faded sweatpants, not that I had anything to flatter, and slightly worn running shoes. Really the nicest thing I had on was his sweatshirt. Messy hair clumped in a rough tail at the back of my head. Sweat over my flushed face. Strands of loose hair plastered to me or torn loose from my exertions.

Did I smell? I never noticed before if I did but that didn't mean _he_ wouldn't. I didn't even have any makeup or anything. For what felt like the first time I wished I was more of a typical girl. At least then I would have brought a makeup bag to freshen up with or something. Just in case of situations like this. Hell, maybe I'd even _own_ something like that to have brought with me.

I felt my eyes widen at my thoughts. I couldn't do it. This was stupid.

Too late, I realized. His head turned to me as I stood in hesitation. His eyes looked immediately on mine, instantly sharpening.

I froze as if caught doing something naughty. Like a five year old with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Whatever I expected his reaction to me to be, I found myself surprised by the genuine smile that appeared on his face. "Hey. I didn't expect to see you again."

I blinked away my uncertainty now that I was committed. I tried to smile assuredly but was pretty sure it came out the exact opposite of what I intended. "Um, yeah."

I saw his eyes flicker over me for just a moment. Not creepy like, but more assessing. His smile grew warmer as he took note of my attire.

"Been running eh? A good morning for it. Would you like some coffee to fight the chill?"

Coffee sounded good. The warmth of my run was pretty much gone and the warmth of my embarrassment didn't quite do the same thing for me. "I want."

I immediately wanted to kick myself for falling into caveman speak in front of him. Still, this was going better than I expected. Sebastian slid over some giving me room to sit next to him. As I did so he picked up his thermos. He poured a cup for me into the cap before refilling his own cup.

As I raised the cup to my lips I caught the slight scent of vanilla from the light brown beverage. It tasted even better. A lot stronger than I was used to but not so bitter that I choked. I figured whatever he used for creamer probably did that.

"Ummm, that's really good. Did you get it from one of the coffee shops here?" I asked. They were the only thing open at this hour.

His light chuckle preceded his answer. "No. Something I make myself. I'm not a fan of the local attempts at coffee. If you spend enough time like I have pulling long stretches without rest you learn to appreciate what a good cup of coffee can do for you. A real cup of coffee should be strong enough to kill the living, and wake the dead. Most of the ones I tried from here don't quite do that for me."

"Oh." I awkwardly contributed. I took another sip looking out over the water stalling for time as I tried to come up with something less asinine than his coffee to talk about. Even if it was really good.

"Um, come here often?" I asked fighting the reflex to wince at how stupid that sounded. I was worse than horrible at this stuff.

Thankfully he didn't seem to think anything about it and answered easily. "More so in the last month than in the past. The sunrise is beautiful here. Reminds me of… a few places I've been. Before. You?"

"I usually end up here during my runs. Though this is the first time early enough to watch the sunrise."

Sebastian nodded still looking ahead. "Probably explains why I've never seen you before. I usually go right afterward myself."

We descended into silence. He refilled my cup as I finished. It didn't take long before the magic moment of sunrise hit. We watched the colors shift slightly before the sun started to appear at the waterline. It had risen halfway before either of us spoke again.

His baritone brought my focus from the view to him. "It's nicer with company to share the experience."

I agreed. It was nice, but I didn't say anything right away. Something about his tone caught my attention. Questions I wanted to ask came out wrong even in my head which kept me from saying anything out loud. Instead I nodded to his point drinking the last of the coffee he shared with me.

"Are you new to Brockton Bay?" I finally came up with. As I waited for his response I couldn't help but feel like small talk was really just not my thing. This was quickly becoming painful.

"Sort of. Been in town about six months or so now. I don't get out much. Keep mostly to myself unless I need something."

_Wierd_. I thought. "Don't you go to school?"

Sebastian shook his head. "Not in a long time."

I couldn't help but frown slightly. He was about my age so he either tested out, or dropped out. The second option didn't fit very well with what I had learned of him so far. Dropouts rarely could afford custom clothing unless they were either gang members, or…

I clamped down on that thought. One, there were rules about that sort of thing. No matter how much you might suspect, you didn't just out someone with powers. Not even like this where it was unlikely anyone could hear. It was a quick way to either piss off a cape, or get killed. Usually both depending on the cape in question. Especially if they were a villain but I didn't think that was the case here. He just didn't seem the type. However as I thought about it I realized I wasn't sure what I would do if someone asked me if I had powers. I know I wouldn't like it though.

I shook my head. It was more likely that he tested out than either of the other two things. He didn't seem the gang type, and there wasn't any delicate way I could question him if he was a cape without upsetting him, or revealing I was one too. No matter how curious I was.

Instead, I tried to divert the conversation into a different direction. A safer one I hoped. "Thank you again. For yesterday, and for the sweater. That was really nice of you."

The young man sitting next to me smiled. I once again thought to myself it was really a nice smile. "You're welcome. I'm glad I could help."

"I noticed this morning it didn't have a tag or anything. Custom?" I asked.

"Yeah. I had a few made a couple of months ago. I tried getting a local vendor to do it but the quality wasn't what I was expecting. Not durable enough. Some research on your local extranet led me to a young woman who goes by the handle 'Parian'. She does good work."

I blinked in shock. I knew a little about her from the Parahumans Online site and knew she was a local rogue whose powers dealt with clothing. I even vaguely remembered something from an interview she gave a month ago that she was a fashion student or something. It wasn't just custom made, but fucking _cape_ made? By _Parian_ of all people?

_Holy shit._

"Seriously?"

Sebastian turned to look at me raising an eyebrow. "Eh?"

"I mean, seriously?" I sputtered. "You had Parian make you some clothes, and then gave one of them away to a stranger?"

His smile turned crooked as amusement replaced confusion in his eyes. "Worth the price to help a pretty girl out of a bad spot."

I felt my eyes widen behind my glasses.

I was as far from what anyone would think of as 'pretty' as the Slaughterhouse Nine were from being considered 'humanitarians'. My arms and legs were stick thin and I had the womanly curves of a flat board. Just looking at both my Mom and Dad I knew there wasn't any hope of being a late bloomer to wish for. How many times had I been, depressingly, mistaken for a boy? Really the only feminine feature that I had was my long hair.

That… that wasn't a flirting pass. He had to be teasing me. He _was _teasing me, or he was gay. My mind couldn't accept anything else.

Had he not noticed I was, in fact, a girl, I would have banked on him being gay. That would have been my luck.

"Besides," He interrupted my thoughts. "What's so special about Parian? Other than the fact she makes a good product."

"Seriously? I mean, she's a Cape."

His eyes glassed over in confusion for a moment before they cleared up again. "So, the fact she's… what was the term I read the other day, Parahuman? That makes her special?"

I nodded not seeing why he was confused over that. "Huh."

My confusion deepened. How could he not understand that? He said he'd been in the city for a few months. Unless he lived under a rock his entire life prior, there was no reason he couldn't have understood.

After a moment he just shrugged a shoulder. "I guess I didn't see the significance. In hindsight I can't say it would have changed anything. Still worth it."

A large part of me wanted to argue that it wasn't. That_ I_ wasn't worth it.

A half-starved, smaller but growing, part of me told that other part to shut the fuck up. It then proceeded to try and gag it. There may have been a beating involved. It may or may not have been vicious.

I blinked away the rampant influx of feelings, blushing as I opened my mouth to say something, when my watch beeped. I looked at it jumping as I realized how much time we spent watching the sunrise and talking. I was going to have to run hard to get home on time. Even with it being Saturday I was pretty sure Dad would be worried if I wasn't home before he left for work.

Seeing the look on my face as I looked at my watch I heard Sebastian speak. "I should go. Judging by the look on your face, you're running late yourself."

I smiled awkwardly. I didn't want to leave like this though. "Yeah. Um, will, will you be here tomorrow?"

His easy smile seemed to intensify my blush. God I hoped my face didn't look like it felt. "Sounds like a plan. It was good to see you again Taylor. Looking forward to tomorrow."

"Bye…" Could I handle this any worse? I thought as I half waved before fleeing.

I ran for all I was worth. By the time I got home I was out of breath, seriously flushed from my thoughts of the earlier encounter combined with my run, and only just on time. As I opened the back door I found it unlocked. I also noticed my dad.

"Taylor. Thank God, I was getting seriously worried."

I closed the back door still trying to catch my breath. My dad rose from the kitchen chair he was using to walk to me. His eyes looking over me, checking for damage.

"Sorry Dad. I um, meet someone on my run. Lost track of time." I stated still trying to catch my breath.

"No trouble I hope. Do I need to buy you another can of pepper spray?" He asked worriedly.

I shook my head. "Nothing like that. He, he was nice."

Dad's eye brow rose. Either at the fact I was talking with a guy, or the fact not all of the flush on my face could have been the result of my run. After all, he didn't know how far my runs usually took me. Even though the Boardwalk wasn't that far from where we lived, it was still a good distance on foot.

"Really?"

I ignored the leading tone to his voice. However, the shrewd look in his eyes left me with a slight feeling of trepidation. "Yeah..."

"Should I be worried that my daughter is meeting strange boys at the crack of dawn? Because, to be honest with you Taylor, that is something of a concern at the moment."

"It's not like that!" I blurted.

Not that I wouldn't mind if it was…

_Shut up. The last thing you need to do is put any more ideas in his head. _

_True, otherwise he'll insist on…_

"Maybe I should call in today so we can Talk."

Something about the way he said talk gave it a capital 'T'. Talk. Like in, 'The Talk'. _Oh no_, I thought. _Not again!_ We are _so_ not doing that again! My eyes widened in horror. "NO! No, we're good."

My dad's face, if anything, seemed even more uncomfortable than how I imagined mine looked. Nor did it looked particularly convinced. "I think I should…"

"No Dad, we're good. Seriously, it's not like that. I barely know him. Just a little conversation while I was getting my breath at the Boardwalk. There is absolutely no reason for that… kind of talk."

_Ever._ I mentally added. The first time was more than enough. Especially since it came right after I'd gotten my first period. No, _never again _if I had any control over it. I loved my Dad and appreciated how he tried his best to fill in for Mom after she died but there were some things that daughters just didn't talk about with their dads. No matter the reason. Sex and Menstruation were at the very top of that list.

"Okay. But we are going to talk about this mysterious young man when I get home tonight." He stated firmly.

I nodded knowing there wasn't any way out of it. I swallowed dryly. "Alright."

He nodded before giving me a hug. "Then I'll see you this evening."

I returned his hug. "Have a good day at work."

Dad smiled weakly as he moved away grabbing his keys. He didn't reply. We both knew what his day would consist of. Still, I could tell he at least appreciated my sentiment.

I leaned against the kitchen table getting myself under control. I reached out with my power taking control of a fly having it join my dad. It just made it zooming in as the door closed. Once it, and they, were out of my range I finally let out a breath and started to relax.

My mind churned over the impending talk with my dad as well as my two encounters with Sebastian, trying to make sense of it all.

The talk with my Dad later tonight was going to be uncomfortable but he was just worried about me. Knowing that wouldn't make it any easier to go through. Still, I had several hours to get it all straight in my head and be ready for the 'Daddy Interrogation' that would be the large focus of that talk. Hopefully, there wouldn't be anything else.

As for my thoughts on Sebastian, they were more muddled. I didn't know him well enough to say I _liked_ him that way yet, but I knew I found him attractive. He seemed very mature for his age. Something I found myself responding to very well. Despite my disastrous efforts at small talk, it wasn't that bad. He didn't seem to notice how badly I was out of my element. Not even being un-girly seemed to throw him off. His teasing aside, I doubted he knew enough about me either but that was something time would solve.

We even had as sort of date for tomorrow morning. That was something right?

As I was thinking I realized I was looking at the sweater he gave me yesterday. My thoughts turned to the kindness of that event.

A Parian made hoodie and he didn't even think twice about it. Never even occurred to him until I brought it up today what it meant.

I looked up unfocused as I directed my spiders in the basement to assemble on what was my workstation. It was about the only place I could think of that I could use without getting caught making my costume. Dad never went in there and there were no windows for anyone to see what I was doing. That was important because the last thing I wanted was to be outed before I even began my career. Besides, ever since dad installed the electric heater he never used the old coal one that was still down there. The old coal shoot was the perfect place to hide my cape things when I wasn't here.

That was especially important. The Protectorate, even the local villains looked out for that kind of thing. Seriously, our costumes were practically half of our new identities. Capes generally put in a lot of thought into it. Colors, styles, themes, even materials. It was the last part that usually got a new cape discovered. Depending on who caught them, decided what happened to them. Some ended up working for villains in order to protect their families or from exposure. You even had to watch what you bought because unfunded capes tended to need similar things.

My research into different bug uses is what brought me to overtaking the basement for my spiders. Silk production. Specifically, Black Widow silk. Tensile density almost as good as hardened steel but flexible. With my ability to control them absolutely it wasn't an issue to not only design my costume, but build it out of materials I didn't have to pay for or worry about being tracked. I brought in every spider in my range to supplement those I kept below. They could move surprisingly fast when I directed them but it would still take time for them to assemble. Which left me with a few moments to get my head strait.

I thought of what Sebastian told me yesterday on the bus. Letting it mingle with our talk this morning. He seemed like a good person in the way I liked to think of myself as a good person. I tried to put myself in his position. Would I have done something like that? Put myself out there to help someone else I saw was miserable? I spent the last year and a half trying to be invisible, fading into the background only drawn into the light when my tormentors were attacking. I wasn't so delusional to think bad things only happened to me, but when was the last time I made the effort to actually see what was happening around me?

I felt a nervous buzz of energy. A need to validate that small part of myself that responded to Sebastian. As my thoughts rolled around in this new vein I felt a desire start burning through me. I liked the feelings Sebastian gave me when we talked.

I liked that he thought I was worthy. It made me feel special even though I knew I wasn't. I wanted to own that feeling. It wasn't enough for him to give it; I wanted to have earned it. It… I don't think it would feel real unless I did. I nodded to myself as my thoughts realigned along this new path.

Fuck going next week.

I was going tonight.


	4. Divergence Annette 2

**Divergence Interlude, Annette 1.2**

I looked up sharply as the shadow that hit the table. I wasn't exactly panicked, more startled. It wasn't that I didn't know he was heading this direction just that I hadn't realized he was stopping at our table. I mean, we only just ordered didn't we?

Thankfully, Annette didn't notice my reaction. The waiter carrying our lunch placed a club sandwich in front of Annette as well a cold tea. For me, a New York hot dog with everything and the same tea as Annette.

It was the next day but this time I had gotten here early enough to share her whole lunch hour with her. She hadn't been scared off yet but I knew that would change as my story progressed. That or she would find this experience like watching a train wreck. Horrific, but not something you can turn away from. I really wasn't sure how I felt about that personally, though I would take what I could get.

Annette absentmindedly thanked the waiter not giving him much thought. I could tell she was still processing my story so far. I looked at him to do the same but only blinked in surprise. He was vaguely familiar.

I almost passed it off as nothing. This was an alternate earth than the one of my birth. It figured I'd see copies of people I knew from time to time right? At least, that was what I told myself before he meet my eyes and give me a slight nod of respect. It caught my attention enough that I took a closer look at him. He was older than me by at least a decade. Clean shaven, close cropped hair. I couldn't place him at first but nodded anyways like I had in the past, falling into old habits. It was as I realized what I was doing that I finally placed him. He'd cut his hair a lot shorter than he used to wear it but I think it was the contacts he was wearing that really through me. His eyes used to be brown I thought, but the waiters were blue. As he turned to walk away I caught the name listed on his nametag. Carlos. I almost snorted. He always did have a thing for Aegis. I let him walk away without saying anything, just filed the information away for later. I had a good idea why he was here.

"So horrible. Was your school life really that bad?"

I shrugged while trying to dig into my lunch with my plastic fork. As I thought about my response, I couldn't help but be distracted by the stray thought that it was almost sacrilegious to eat this with a fork. Not criminal, which anyone who knew the _real_ me knew how little that meant considering who I used to be, but sacrilegious just the same. I sighed. Wasn't the most 'evil' thing I'd done. Still, was it so wrong that I felt guiltier for it? "Worse probably but I was pretty used to it by then."

"What about your teachers? Surely they noticed what was happening?"

"Sure. It even came out later, but Emma's dad was a big shot lawyer with a lot of city connections. Add in over population of kids in a public school, the rampant gangs hidden in our ranks, and well, everything else I imagine they had going on and it wasn't hard for them to turn a blind eye to it. On top of that there were other things in play I didn't know about at the time. Nothing ever came of it. Not that I expected it too."

"That's so, wrong."

I shrugged again, chewing. I didn't see any napkins at first until the same waiter brought over a few while I was looking. I nodded my thanks, wiping my mouth not thinking anything of it until I noticed Annette's raised a surprised eyebrow at the unexpectedly prompt service.

I took a drink of my tea to clear my throat before getting back to the story and distracting her from the waiter. "It was what it was. Or as a friend used to say, 'The situation is what it is. Our job is to deal with it. Adapt, improvise, go forward."

"So, you became, what was the term you used, a Hero?" Annette asked still obviously a bit frazzled at my casual dismissal of my school issues.

I winced. The older woman sitting across from me noticed and frowned. "Not, precisely. Sort of… That was my intent anyways. You know that saying, a person finds what they go looking for?"

Annette nodded as I continued. "Well, that Saturday night I went looking for trouble. I found it. A parahuman named 'Lung'."

It was almost funny the way Annette's face scrunched in slight confusion. It was so weird to mention one of the top ten parahumans in shear volatility and get a confused reaction so I clarified.

"Lung was the leader of the 'Azn Bad Boys', or the ABB as most of us called them."

"Sounds like a juvenile gang of some type. Like the type of kids who dabble in being a gang but are mostly harmless."

I couldn't help but snort. Almost sprayed my tea over my lunch at her comment. Now _that_ would have been a fucking tragedy. "They were far from harmless." I stated dryly as I wiped my chin.

"The ABB had three capes that made them one of the most feared gangs in the city. Oni Lee who could teleport while leaving behind an ash clone of himself for a few seconds who would keep trying to kill you while he was safe. His specialty was assassination, with the rep to back it."

"Bakuda, was a tinker who made bombs. Everything from common explosives, acid, time, spacial distortion, anything really. Trust me, when I say anything, I mean that. She made _a lot _of bombs. Came out later just how many but we didn't know much at this point."

"Then, there was Lung. Regenerated at an insane rate which is bad, but not as bad as the fact that the longer the fight took the stronger he got. Grew to monstrous size. Armor plating, claws, wings. That kind of thing. That didn't even include his enhanced senses or his pyrokinetics. I mean real dragon/demon stuff right out of _Divine Comedy_. At that time, no one in the entire world had done more than draw with him. Lung was even the only cape on the planet that had gone to a draw with an _Endbringer_. Practically solo. As if you needed more reason to fear him, he even survived the obliteration of Kyushu which was the result of that fight. Well, our Kyushu. Not even the Triumvirate could boast a claim like that though I read that Edion generally drew with Endbringers, but he is considered to be the strongest cape on the planet."

"Oh my."

I nodded. "It was stupid of me. A rookie mistake that saw more wanna be capes killed their first night out than live. I put on my costume and went trolling in his territory looking for trouble. Didn't take long to find it."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what happened next." Annette muttered.

I couldn't help the smile that graced my face. Bittersweet as most of my memories were of those early days. Was it only a few years ago?

"Renegade happened."

At Annette's even more confused look I explained. "I thought I was ready. I had my costume. Spider silk, which if you didn't know has a tensile density about the same as steal. So I was pretty confident I was bullet proof. That was my first real worry when I thought about going out as cape. Getting shot. Turns out it was valid, but it was a while later before that was tested. I didn't get shot that night."

I took note of Annette's horrified look at how I passed off that occurrence as I continued. "I had a few things on me, but not nearly enough for what I was doing. I wasn't experienced or sponsored so there was a lot I didn't know about being a cape looking for trouble. Still, I was better prepared than most of us newbies who venture out for the first time. But, like them, I was out classed the second I picked that fight. I was barely holding my own when Renegade appeared. I have no doubts he saved my life that night."

"Was he someone you knew? So far you haven't mentioned anyone else with powers in your acquaintance. Aside from your thoughts on this Sebastian boy you mentioned before."

"About that…"


	5. Interlude Renegade

**Divergence Interlude: Renegade**

The computer screen was the only thing that illuminated the pitch black of the room. His face softly illuminated by the monitor's glow showed a slight frown as his fingers awkwardly hammered out the barely heard clicking of the keyboard. On the monitor itself, strange charterers flew across the screen seemingly lagging slightly behind his endeavors.

He was the sole occupant of the small dark room. The figure nodded along to the music that obscured the sound of the generator in the only corner not currently occupied by some piece of hodgepodge technology. What seemed like miles of cables roamed all along the floor and walls interconnecting everything in the room to the makeshift desk the young man was at.

'_But no matter what you do, You'll always feel as though you tripped and fell,_

_So steady as she goes...'_

He leaned back with a sigh, rubbing his tired eyes with one hand. Full circle. Again. He wanted to blame the tech he was using for failing him but he knew that was only a fraction of the issue. He could lie to himself, again, and just say he was tired, or that a solution would eventually show itself but his disillusionment was getting stronger every day. He'd been at this for months only to keep ending up at the same conclusion.

The shrouded figure reached for the cup of steaming coffee that sat next to him. He could only fight the this so much before he just had to accept it. As old Gunnery Sergeant Railberg used to say, _'The situation is what it is. Our job is to deal with it. Adapt, improvise, go forward. That is what we do, Marines!'_

Despite the volume of the music he heard the generator sputter. The slight hesitation in its usual smooth rhythm broke him out of old memories. He held his breath while the network froze; the screen dimmed for a flicker before everything revved back to optimum.

_Shit…_

With sigh he put the cup down rising from the crate he used as his chair. He wound his way through the labyrinth of half dismantled scraps making for the generator. He knew before the gauge confirmed it that it was running low on fuel. A quick check of the gas can next to it reaffirmed the fact he had only a few hours left of power. He'd have to do another job.

"Damn it…" he groused. He _hated_ this. Working with scraps, the discards he managed to salvage and rebuild. Rebuild _poorly_, he amended. He didn't even have a fucking Omni-tool to do the work right! It'd been so long, longer than any in this place could ever imagine, since he had to get by with such materials._ Since Mindoir… _He thought. _No, we had better tech even there..._

He had no friends, no allies, no resources, no sponsors, _nothing _here. The worst part, the part he hated the most, was interacting with the world that existed outside of the confines of his self-imposed isolation. It was some kind of freaked out parody of the Earth he knew. Pre-spaceflight Earth. How the hell did these people expect to get that far going like this?

He very purposely avoided that as much as he could get away with. He still didn't understand what drew him to the brunette from the bus. For months the only people he intentionally interacted with were his few contacts, and the people who were misfortunate to come across him 'working'.

The only thing that felt close to right was that there was something about her that made him think she needed him. But even that felt wrong. He was probably just starving for contact. He'd practically locked himself away since his escape.

He shook his head, casting aside those thoughts. Even as the situation pissed him off, he understood his ex-lover to a whole new level. Her whole life was like this until the day he saved her from Finch's thugs. That didn't mean he had to like it, but he could adapt, like she did. He was good at that. His career was half built on that. _Had_ been...

He returned to the terminal. A quick check on the 'Parahumans Online' site showed no less than fifty offers for 'services'. Everything from entertaining kids with powers at birthday parties to bodyguard assignments. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at offers for 'Stud' services that were also posted. However buried in the data, if one knew where to look and how to read it, you could find more. People looking to be henchmen for the various crime lords and really just about everything from the ignorant to the deadly. It still amazed him that there was even a board for this kind of thing. Lunacy. This world was full of lunatics. The disgusting thing was, they paid better than anything he could acquire through 'legal' channels. Especially if he wanted to keep flying under the radar. It's not like he had identification here. His legal options were minimal, which left only one other way to go.

It wasn't like this was his first foray into the shady elements of society. It was just how _easy_ it was here that surprised him. Seriously, he thought, why would anyone even try to get a day job with all these other options available?

So far he'd only had to venture out a few times. Not wanting to draw too much attention he stuck to the lower rung elements of the city. Scouting them to find out what kinds of illicit elements they involved themselves in, and their stash houses. From there it wasn't too hard to engineer a few break ins to relieve them of some of their ill-gotten gain to have just enough credits, 'cash' he corrected himself, to support himself on a base level, to get tools he needed for rebuilding the scraps of tech he came across, or for tech he could use to further explore his situation. The further he progressed the faster it went.

_No help for it. _With a deep breath and a scowl, he started scrolling through them looking for one he could live with. He was half way through rejecting the offers when a messenger window popped up.

_TT: Good, You're online. We have a situation._

His scowl deepened though he had to admit he was intrigued. He'd worked with her before. She was the lesser of evils when he had to venture out.

_RS: Situation?_  
_TT: We need a Heavy._  
_RS: I don't do 'Heavy'. I'm a strategist._  
_TT: Pay is good. We're in a bind. We only have 3 hours._  
_RS: How good?_  
_TT: 10k._

He blinked. _What the fuck?_ The last job he took from her paid only 2k, and he didn't even participate. He just planned it for them. He either impressed them, or they were desperate. He could work with either, depending on what this was.

_TT: Look, Time is an issue. In or Out?_  
_RS: Details._  
_TT. We're getting hit. Tonight. Preemptive strike._

His scowl turned into a frown as he typed.

_RS: Bound to happen sooner or later. You are a criminal._  
_TT: Semantics. We're little fish. The guy hitting us isn't. _  
_RS: Run then._  
_TT: Can't. If we don't fight, our Rep takes a hit._  
_TT: We run now, we'll always have to run. You don't get respect like that._  
_RS: Counting Coup._  
_TT: Yeah._  
_RS: What do you need?_  
_TT: Someone who can bring the hurt._  
_RS: What makes you think I can?_  
_TT: Are you saying you can't?_  
_TT: I seem to remember a little incident about 3 weeks ago in which the _  
_TT: Shakers got wiped out. To a man with no clue to who except for a _  
_TT: post offering the contract on this site._

He sighed. Figures she would trace that back to him. One of his raids that ended up going sideways. They were supposed to be gone when he hit them. For some reason the entire gang ended up walking in on him in the middle of his raid. It didn't end well for them.

Course, that didn't stop him from collecting the bounty _afterward_. Waste not, want not. Wasn't the first time he stumbled into a situation like that.

_RS: Touche._  
_TT: We're not that hardcore, we just want to walk away from this with our rep_  
_TT: and lives intact. _

_Hmmm. _

RS: _Target._  
_TT: The ABB. Lung in particular._  
_RS: Location._  
_TT: Docks. _

He brought up a digital display of the area to get an idea of what he would be working with. Lots of two story buildings in the area with only one or two higher than that. Lots of cover and even more blind spots. Mobility would be a major issue. Well, one of the major issues. The location was less than ideal for an effective counter strike. For him anyways. The Undersiders were far more suited than he was to this type of terrain. He was far from 100%. More like 40%. Still, there were options.

RS: _ABB are criminals correct?_  
_TT: Yup._  
_TT: We'd prefer it if you were subtle. Just thought I would throw that out there._  
_RS: Not sure how to be subtle while 'bringing the hurt'. It's going to draw attention. _  
_RS: Attention is not something I'm interested in._  
_TT: We'll figure a way to deflect it._  
_RS: Will still draw attention._  
_TT: For us, that's sort of the point. Though we'd be happier if there wasn't a body _  
_TT: count._  
_TT: That kind of attention we don't want or need._  
_TT: Tends to get you a one way ticket to the Birdcage, or a Kill Order._  
_RS: This about the 'Code' you people play by?_  
_TT: Pretty much. Though we're in a pinch here._  
_RS: Obviously. Or you wouldn't have contacted me._  
_TT: Yeah._

He did a quick search on the ABB. He continued to nod along to the music as he absorbed the points on the screen. A list of crimes, suspected involvements, past successes and losses. Enemies, allies, and of course the references to the 'Parahumans' who were members or suspected to be. He started scrolling through their profiles to get a feel for their abilities while he adjusted his tactics based on the information.

The leadership consisted of three 'Parahumans', as these people called them. Oni-Lee, teleporter. The ABB problem solver. Bakuda, Combat Engineer with a specialty in explosives. As he looked through crimes attributed to her he felt his eyebrows rise. Really weird explosives. Then the leader and the target of the night; Lung. As he read through his reported abilities his frown seemed to etch into his face mingling with new confusion.

_What the shit?_

_TT: Hey, still there?_  
_RS: I think I'll pass on this one. _  
_TT: Hey, come on now. There's room to negotiate here right? _

He leaned back opening a message he received a few days ago in response to an inquiry he made to someone called 'Leet' that operated in the city. He watched a few of their vids and though he was pretty sure Leet and his partner 'Uber' were both brain damaged idiots, Leet's ability to create things from nothing was his best shot. Even if he couldn't understand how the hell he was doing it.

_-Renegade. Yes, I can provide that particular 'tech'. I talked to Uber and even though we don't do this kind of thing, you got me curious. What kind of trade did you have in mind?-_

He turned back to the text box. A plan already forming in his mind.

_RS: Best thing for you and your squad to do is run. Pick your battles._  
_TT: Not exactly the help I was hoping for._  
_RS: No, but if you survive and need a strategist, you know how to contact me._

He cut the connection before standing. The soft glow of the terminal illuminated the conflicted expression on his face. He spent a few moments standing there filling in the details of the half formed plan looking for weak points and flaws, shoring them up.

On one hand, he'd done this sort of thing before and it really wasn't that big a deal. On the other, it earmarked the beginning of what he was sure was going to be a dark road. A previously traveled dark road. A road he told himself he wasn't going to walk again.

The payoff would be good though.

"Fuck."

Committing to madness, the figure moved with a purpose as he went about the small room gathering what he would need for the night. Knife, extra ammunition, a saddle bag that consisted of all his notable field possessions aside from the music player currently hooked to the terminal. That and the disposable comm next to it, he put in his jacket pocket. When finished, he checked the pistol in his hands before holstering it at his side. He had two stops to make before he set up. So little time prepare.

His sure steeps carried him out the archway and down the hall he finished sealing up only a week ago. A few moments later he opened the hatch to the rusted ship he was squatting in. The salt of the bay hit him full force as he untied the mooring rope to the small boat that was his only conveyance to shore.

He ran through various actions, counter actions, and contingency plans as he automatically set himself into the small craft, started the quiet motor and eased himself around the wreck and directing his course to a dark spot on shore to beach the boat.

With the ABB distracted by chasing down the Undersiders he had an open field to hit one of their storehouses. This opportunity was pure gold. When it came to drugs, the ABB were fairly professional about it, unlike the Merchants. Professional meant pure product, high end stuff. The ABB didn't push to kids, but distributed to professional dealers all along the eastern seaboard. A higher class clientele meant more money. He smirked in the pitch night he drove through. It wasn't like they could use a regular bank, so that meant they had to keep their money somewhere. He didn't see a reason they needed to keep it all to themselves.

The engine cut out as he felt the bow hit the sand in front of him, bringing him out of his thoughts. A quick jump had him securing the motor up and out of the waterline and dragging the craft into a large water drainage tunnel twenty feet ahead of him. Once hidden he set off on foot to his next destination.

He didn't pause in his stride until he was a block down the road where he stopped to light a cigarette. He blew out a cloud of smoke as he reached into his pocket releasing the zippo. He unwound the ear bud from his player before putting it into his ear.

_'Somewhere in a lonely hotel room, There's a guy starting to realize,_

_That eternal fate has turned its back on him,_

_It's two a.m...'_

He had just two hours to get everything in place. He wasn't getting anywhere doing things the way he had been. It was long past time for him to step up his operation. If he was going to be stuck here, he might as well do something constructive until he figured out a way to get home. If that was even possible. Which, judging by his research so far, wasn't even a consideration. Besides, he knew from experience how profitable it was to hit criminals. Satisfying too.

_Help I'm steppin' into the twilight zone,_

_The place is a madhouse, feels like being cloned._

_My beacon's been moved under moon and star,_

_Where am I to go, now that I've gone too far_

_Where indeed… _He thought to himself as he strode forward again. His last memory of 'home' still burned in his mind. Vague human figures in masks. A room that looked like some kind of hospital/interrogation room. Memories were disjointed, confused, hazy. From the time he woke up in that room through the next two weeks he found himself 'here'. He still couldn't figure out how they got him, or who they were though he had a good guess. What he did know was that it must have been after the Crucible fired. That was his last memory before everything went confused and reality unraveled to… whatever the hell this was.

If nothing else, even if he couldn't get back, his actions would have saved everyone who mattered to him. Would have saved those who survived anyways. Not that there were many. _Tali…_

He took a cleansing breath letting it out slowly. _Maybe it's better this way… A new start. _Even if he managed to get home, there wasn't anything waiting for him anymore. Harbinger saw to that.

Maybe. Maybe not. Didn't matter. Not back then, not now. Right or wrong, for the moment he was committed.

"This should be interesting." He stated to himself as he flicked the ash from his cigarette to the side. Once more striding into the night. There was a mission to complete.

_XxX__Exiled__XxX_

The door flew off the hinges flying inward with ease. Not something he was used to but then again, this wasn't a prefab he was kicking in. Renegade snorted at that notion. You _couldn't_ kick in a prefab. Thing was, he couldn't hack these locks for the exact opposite reason. Here, you couldn't hack the lock. Even if he had an Omni-tool. Or Omni-gel.

He ignored the painful sounds of whoever it caught. Instead he turned to the two mobile threats in front of him. That other guy wasn't going anywhere soon.

"What the…"

"Fuck!"

Two pops from the salvaged sidearm stopped either of them from talking anymore. The bodies of both young men slid down the walls leaving blood trails and brain matter to mark their passage. He kept his arms raised and the pistol level as he assessed the situation. There should be one more… It was almost a full minute before he moved.

"Drop the gun fucker!"

The forth stepped out of one of the side rooms. Probably the Head. The asian teen was holding what looked like a combat model shotgun that was typical for this era. It slightly trembled in his hands. Obviously, the tough wasn't comfortable with it. That, or he was just rattled.

Both were likely. Like most wanna be badass's, he wasn't used to being on the other side of this equation.

Renegade did as ordered. He allowed the gun to fall from his fingers. The sound of the weapon hitting the carpet didn't even register to the man holding him at gunpoint. Renegade kept his palms open; facing his opponent as he slowly extended them to shoulder width. However, whatever victory his assailant thought he had was gone before he even realized it. Renegade clenched his right hand in a grabbing motion, and then jerked his arm back. The effect was instantaneous as the series of mass effect fields only he could see aligned precisely how he mentally directed them. The target flew past him impacting the wall with a sickening crunch that said a lot about his injuries.

He wouldn't be getting up anytime soon either.

As his hand opened the discarded firearm jumped back into his grip. A quick pull of the trigger ended any question if his downed opponent was getting up. A moment later he finished the one that fell to the door as well, leaving him the sole occupant of the room.

He nodded satisfied. He got all four with minimal fuss. Considering the old tech he was using, he thought even his old Gunny from the Villa would have been impressed.

Then again, maybe not. It wasn't like these guys were professional mercs. More like amateur thugs. Still, a clean op, was a clean op. He'd take what he could get.

Renegade took one more look about the room while reaching to the back of his neck with his left hand. The old habit to physically check the heat from his amp met only skin causing him to frown. No implant, meant no amp. He shook off the chill that sped down his spine. He couldn't afford the distraction right now. He had a mission to complete.

This was one of the smaller stash houses the ABB used. Table, a few chairs, fridge. Not much else aside from personal stuff the guards brought with them. A quick tour of the room allowed him to find the safe he was confident was here. Renegade concentrated for a moment aligning the right degenerative fields along the hinges before turning away. The hinges slowly started to change from a pristine look to a distempered one.

While he waited for the Warping to do its work he toured the apartment again. Small electronics, small arms, ammunition all ended up in the duffle he brought with him. As a bonus he found a well-stocked first aid station. Renegade figured this place must double as one of their field hospitals. Considering what they were up to tonight, his timeline for getting out was narrowing. He quickly added most of their supplies to the others in his duffle. On the bodies of the fallen he took their jewelry and currency. If he ever got an omni-tool working he would need all the light metals he could get his hands on to build a better one, so nothing was over looked. Besides, they wouldn't need them anymore.

Finished with his salvage he returned to the safe. A quick application of opposing gravimetric forces allowed him to tear the door off in a similar manner that he threw the gang member earlier.

Inside was exactly what he hoped to find. Stacks of local currency. He smiled grimly as he went about loading the duffel with its contents. He just stuffed it all into the bag not bothering to count it. Plenty of time for that later.

A quick heft after he was done, secured the bag to his back well enough for him to walk out easily. As he headed to the door he used his biotics to bring the shotgun from where it had fallen to his hand. Primitive weapons tech, but he could make it work.

As he was making his way to the street he wondered if Javik felt like this when he recruited him. After a moment of musing about the Prothean Renegade shook his head. Probably not. There weren't any of his people left when he brought him out of stasis. Not only was he surrounded by what he considered 'Primitive Tech' but also evolved 'Primitives' of galactic species that barely understood the concept of fire. How much worse would it have been for the war veteran had it been his own people he found running around like that?

He snorted as he rounded the last of the stairs heading for the exit. Who was he kidding? Javik would have taken over the planet before uplifting his people. Probably then set his sights on taking over the galaxy. Little things like the sanctity of the timeline wouldn't have concerned him in the least.

It wasn't until he hit the street that he realized his night wasn't over yet. A feminine scream of pain assaulted the still night drawing his attention to the left. It was soon followed by the image of a monstrous armor plated, thing, leaping from the street onto the roof of the buildings he was fairly sure the scream came from. Renegade blinked. A two story building.

_Lung._

Renegade frowned to himself as he contemplated his options. While he stood in the street assessing the situation the hulking figure roared sending what looked like a shock wave of flames around him.

His decision was made before he even realized he was moving forward. The duffel thrown to the side of the ally as he breathed deeply building up his power for the Charge. He kept the shotgun.

In his years serving the Alliance, and later the Citadel Council, he earned a reputation for brutal, reckless efficiency. Many thought him cold, ruthless, a monster. Possibly unhinged, or mentally unstable. He was all of those things and more. Hell the body count he left behind wherever he went was tell enough for that.

He wasn't kidding when he told the brunette on the bus he understood carrying a great weight. It was just before they headed to Earth with Hammer and Sword Fleets that his depression was at its worst. Tali confronted him with the hard data on his career. Yeah, he had an astronomical body count to his name. Mindoir, The Blitz, Torfan, The Eden Prime War were all prime examples of this. Then later all the choices he made in those last eight months before they got the Crucible built and finally took the fight to the Reapers. Choices that allowed some to live, and many to die. How many died because of his actions or inaction? Millions for sure. More likely Trillions. What was it Garrus called it, the Brutal Calculus of War?

But at the same time he tried to save as many as he could. Saved the _right_ kind of people to balance putting down the _right_ kind of people. Went out of his way sometimes to try and make a difference, even the scorecard. Tali showed him that night that being a monster didn't make him evil. Sometimes, the galaxy needed a monster. Sometimes, it took a monster to fight one.

He'd already understood that ideal, but having her support made the difference. Showed him he wasn't as alone as he felt.

Renegade felt his power reaching critical within him as he exited the ally. Dark energy manifested whipping violently around him waiting to be used. Needing to be unleashed. It was a fair distance for this particular aspect of his abilities but even without an amp, well within his range. Renegade seemed to vanish in a streak of auze light.

_I wonder if Tattletale will still pay the bounty..._


	6. Divergence 3

**Divergence 1.3**

This was it, I was going to die.

On the few occasions when I thought about my own death, I never really thought it would be like this. Not this soon.

_Lung._ Of all people to run into my first night out, I ran into Lung.

I wasn't stupid. I'd read about him on PHO so I had a good grasp of his abilities. This was why I set myself so far away from him. The fire escape for the building I chose was down and thanks to my bugs I knew that I could get access to the roof. Plenty of distance from the rage monster while also being able to manage the insect horde I'd gathered. I figured since it took a while for his power to really kick in, I'd have a bit of time to knock him out.

My venomous insects would be best for him while the others would be fine for his flunkies. I mean, brown moths, black widows, and brown recluse were some of the nastiest insect's local to here. The way I used them would have killed anyone else in moments. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that they would negate his regeneration. And it worked. The flunkies scattered leaving only Lung for me to worry about and for a moment, it looked like it was going to work. Then, he started exploding.

Well, there went that plan.

I turned to the fire escape judging the distance. In doing so my foot very lightly scraped across the roof. Lung turned upward looking right at me as if he knew I was there. Of course he had enhanced senses. Why wouldn't he?

My insects swarmed him getting in bites and stings were they could before his body fully armor plated. Still, it was a losing battle. Whatever the toxins from the spiders, bees, moths, and wasps were doing to him wasn't happening fast enough. How good was his regeneration anyways? I knew from his bio that he regenerated fast, but seriously? _This _fast? Against bees and wasps I could believe, but…

_Fuck me!_

I jumped backward trying to make it to the fire escape just as Lung landed on the roof. I only managed a few steps when the force of his landing shook the old building and sent me tumbling across the tar. His follow up back hand as I regained my feet ended that option as well as getting a painful scream from me as I once again tumbled over the rough terrain. I didn't get back up this time. Instead I back peddled, sliding on my butt away from him panicked. Thank God, I thought, for my costume. I'd probably be dead already if not for that. This was going all kinds of wrong.

As I tried to retreat, Lung roared sending out another burst of flames around him killing my swarm. My costume thankfully kept the worst of it from hurting me but it still hurt. That was even the last of the useful bugs within my range. With his armor, there was nothing more I could do to hurt him. He swayed a bit but was still far too steady on his feet for my tastes. Whatever I did to him wasn't going to happen before he finished me.

I looked back and forth trying to find a way off this building that wouldn't get me killed just as quickly as staying here would. Roof tops were the absolutely worst place to fight unless you had some kind of flight or speeder ability. As I ran through my limited options, I thought that if I survived this, I was going to take extra care not to let myself be trapped on a roof ever again. Even if I jumped and survived the fall, I'd break a leg. I wouldn't get anywhere like that. Much less have any way to explain it later if I did.

"I 'ear you. I sm'll you…" the half monster Lung growled as he advanced. Blocking me from the fire escape again.

Pyrokinetics, enhanced senses, regeneration, and monstrous strength and natural armor. Why the fuck wasn't he an A-lister again? Why did I pick this fight?

_The kids._

As I dry swallowed thinking, what I was sure were my last thoughts, I couldn't help but think I'd do it again. I heard him plotting with his gang to kill kids, of all things. What's the price of my life for the chance to help kids? Whatever his plan was, I managed to derail it for tonight at least. I'd done what I set out to do.

Would have been nice to of lived afterward though.

As Lung advanced toward me I once again thought, this was it. I was going to die.

Suddenly a streak of bluish light exploded into Lung. A vague man shaped figured stood in the center of the fading remnants as Lung stumbled several steps away from the impact.

"You're big." The figure stated. I blinked behind the yellow tinted swim goggles I'd sown into my mask. It sounded like he was talking about the weather.

Lung had regained his steps and roared at the stranger. For all the good it did, he didn't seem rattled. Instead, he _chuckled_. "That's alright. I've fought bigger."

Lung charged swinging. The figure moved faster than I'd seen anyone move. It wasn't super-fast like the speeders I read about, but still fast. He effortlessly avoided Lung with a skill that suggested he fought monsters before. Maybe even for a living.

The distortion around him mixed with the poor lighting of the area meant I had a hard time following him as he slid to the side to avoid getting hit. And he was sliding. Like some kind of force pushed him one way or the other but never in a way he couldn't keep his footing. Then the stranger kicked or punched in retaliation. His power blazed over his hands and feet. The sounds of the impacts sounded like shattering concert. Somewhere in that scuffle something happened to distort and warp Lungs armored plates. I couldn't really tell if it was just remains of that guy's power where he hit, or if he did something else but Lung's armor wasn't as uniform or as hard looking as they were before.

As I watched in amazement I wondered if what I did to Lung, and the distortion, were part of the reason why his attacks seemed sloppy in comparison to the newcomers' movements. Maybe he was finally slowing down from the venom's? Was that why his armor looked weaker?

Wait, was the new guy _laughing_?

It sure sounded like it to me. Lung must have thought so too because he began to get more erratic in his attacks. Lung continued to get more frustrated with his inability to hit his target accumulating in a change of tactics.

A burst of flames roared forward from the monstrous figure. It was hot enough that from where I was sitting _I_ felt it through my costume. It rolled along the roof melting tar and setting those sections of the roof on fire, almost igniting the building next to us. It lasted several seconds before all the flames disappeared.

That guy was still there. A shimmering bubble looking field of purplish distortion around him. Whatever it was protecting him didn't distort the light around him as much as what he was doing before so I got my first close look at him.

He was tall. Taller than me anyways, but not nearly as tall as Lung had grown too. I still couldn't get a look at his face, but I saw enough to know he wasn't wearing a mask. Or a costume. Was this his first night out too? Did our fight make him get powers?

Holy fuck, was that a shotgun in his hand?

"This is fun, but I got better things to do than spar with you. How about we kick this up a notch? Unless you're ready to retreat? That'd be fine too."

Lung roared definitely throwing another torrent of flames. The stranger avoided it by sliding sideways before rushing forward bringing the weapon to his shoulder. A flash of light and a unique sound spat out round after round.

Yeah, that was a shotgun.

Lung jerked to the left. Blood and bits of flesh exploding from his shoulder. It looked like whatever happened to the armor he grew in must have weakened it enough to be vulnerable to the blasts. In quick succession he was hit in the right knee, then right in the face knocking him onto his back. Each shot appeared placed with an ease and precision I'd never even heard of before.

Who the fuck was this guy that he was _surgical_ with a _shotgun_?

It didn't end there. I sat stunned watching the new guy work. "Know what happens when you're enveloped in an unstable dark energy, molecular degenerative field and get hit with an opposing field rated at twenty-four hundred newtons of force?"

Lung lay on his back half against the railing. He shook his bloody head before thrusting his arm at his assailant. The new guy once again slid to the side in a burst of violent light distorting blue avoiding another blast of flame. He thrust his own hand outward as he came to a stop. Lung exploded.

"Same thing as everything else." He deadpanned.

_He even had one liners..._

I watched the smoking remains of Lung as it was flung from the explosion into the building across from us. He, thankfully, didn't get up. I think I would have pissed myself if he did. I slowly turned to the guy that saved my life in such a one sided fashion.

He brought up the weapon he had managed to keep in his hands the whole fight. He pulled back the sliding part under the gun looking down at the barrel.

"Empty. Really? He tried to hold me up with three rounds? That's almost insulting." I heard him mutter to himself.

He tossed the weapon to the side pulling the pistol I finally noticed at his hip. That got a reaction out of me as I realized what he intended to do.

"Hey, no…"

He casually turned to me giving me the impression he was fully aware that I was there the entire time. I still couldn't see his face clearly but something about him was familiar. He didn't say anything as I shakingly got to my feet and approached him.

"You're, you're not going to kill him are you?"

"That was the idea, yeah."

"No, you can't do that!"

"I can't do that." He repeated my words as if tasting them for context. "Okay. I'm pretty sure I can, but I'd like to hear why I shouldn't."

His reply made me sputter a moment before I regrouped my senses enough say anything. "Because it's not _right_. We should, I don't know, leave him for the PRT to pick up or find a payphone and call them so they know he's here. They'll put him in jail and get him off the street. Maybe even some medical care for the venom I injected him with and the things you did."

The guy in front of me turned to where Lung lay unconscious for a moment before turning back to me. "I'm pretty sure he's going to bleed out before any 'medical care' arrives. Much less your PRT. A Krogen would."

A _what_? "He's tough and regenerates. He should be fine until the Heroes can get him locked up."

"Can he regenerate a broken spine?" He asked. It made me think this wasn't as random an encounter as it looked like. "I'm pretty sure I managed that right at the end. I'd be surprised if he didn't with his landing." He gestured to the broken building in front of us emphasizing his point. "That's no way to leave a man to suffer. Better I just end him fast then he live the rest of his life like that."

"I don't know." I stated uncertainty. Nothing I could recall on his abilities mentioned anything about that kind of ability. Of course, that was possibly because no one had ever managed to inflict this kind of damage to him. I didn't get a lot of time to think before the stranger started speaking again.

"You know, either way it'd be better if I kill him. He's either going to end up in a wheelchair, or if he _can_ regenerate his spine, he's going to be fucking _pissed_. That means he's going to want revenge, which translates to another fight down the road. Assuming he doesn't stay in 'jail', the next time, he'll have back up. I don't know what you did to him but I'm pretty sure it's the reason this fight went a lot easier than I expected after reading his extranet bio. That surprise won't be on our side next time."

I froze. All thought in my mind screeched to a halt as I slowly turned to the figure before me.

"It's the right thing to do." I whispered, still processing.

The distortion was fading pretty quickly now and I knew I was right. Same haircut and build. Same confidence in his stance. My savior was _Sebastian_.

Unaware of my revelation he shrugged one shoulder in response. "Alright." He turned to me again giving me a once over. I looked into his eyes seeing the green I easily recognized through what was left of his powers. "You alright? Broken anything?"

I shook my head. I was far from alright. I took a few breaths to steady my nerves before answering. "S, swimming in adrenaline but I don't think anything's broken. Bruised and sore but not broken."

"Good. I'm gunna grab my duffel. If you want, I'll walk you to where the Docks meet the Boardwalk before we part ways. Just in case any of his people decide to try something."

The casual way he said that left me reeling more than knowing who he was. It was the same tone he used on the bus, the same as this morning. Like the whole fight didn't mean anything or it didn't happen. "Okay..."

Sebastian nodded before stepping off the roof. I stifled a scream as I rushed over expecting to see his remains spattered on the sidewalk below. Instead as I leaned over the edge I watched stunned as he descend a lot slower than was natural. I let out a shaky breath once he landed safely and started walking away. Thankfully from both the building and Lung.

The battle ran through my mind. I tried to fuse both aspects of the person I was watching together, trying to make sense of it all, and failed. "Who the hell are you, Sebastian?"


	7. Divergence 4

**Divergence 1.4**

Once I managed to get myself together enough to descend the fire escape I found Sebastian waiting for me in the alley I saw him enter. His duffel bag already over his left shoulder as he waited for me.

As I approached him I fully recognize him and any doubts I had vanished. I didn't say anything but fell in step with him as we walked side by side through the area unmolested in an uncomfortable silence. Our first.

It all passed in a blur to me. One moment I entered the alley and the next we were almost to the Boardwalk. I probably wouldn't have even noticed if Sebastian didn't say anything.

"There you go."

"What?" I asked, startled from my thoughts.

"Public Comm Terminal."

I looked to where he was pointing seeing the pay phone standing there. So lost in thoughts I completely forgot about Lung. It looked to be in working order, even if it had been defaced by ABB graffiti and the phone book had been stolen. Finally remembering why I needed a phone in the first place, I rushed over to it. A quick check reminded me that I hadn't sown any pockets in my costume. I reached behind me into the small carapace pack I made. I wouldn't find change there either.

Then I remembered why I didn't call the PRT about Lung in the first place.

"Do you have any change?" I asked turning to Sebastian.

"You have to pay to use the comms?"

I felt my eye twitch. Granted I'd forgotten, and I felt really guilty about that, but was I the only one who cared Lung was possibly dieing? "Yes. Quarters? Nickels? Anything?"

He didn't even check his pockets before he shook his head. "Nope. Does it take twenties?"

"It's a _Payphone_." I stated.

"So, is that a yes? I haven't counted it but I remember there were a lot of twenties."

As he was speaking the teen dropped the duffel and open it. "You robbed someone." It wasn't even a question to me at this point.

"ABB storehouse actually." He answered matter of factly. "I had intel that Lung was going after the Undersiders. Figured most of his people would be involved in the attack which would leave it mostly unguarded. I just finished when I saw Lung jump up to the building you were on."

"Are you seriously telling me that thing is full of money?"

He knelt down finally getting it open enough to reach into it. "Not all of it. Got a few pistols in here too. Some jewelry, couple of wallets. A lap terminal. I didn't do a full salvage of their place. I was just there for the safe. Grabbed the other stuff while the hinges were degrading."

"Are you serious?"

I realized he was when he held up a wad of bills. From the open bag in front of him I could see the laptop as well as the sparkle of someone's gold ring glinting in the lamplight. In his hand I could clearly see the twenties. As well as more than a few hundreds.

_Holy fuck._

"It doesn't take cash…" I said in a pained voice. "I don't suppose you took their phones?" I asked hopefully trying to ignore the fact he robbed Lung before he kicked the crap out of him. Something about that just didn't seem right.

"Didn't see any portable comms, other than the terminal."

Oh hell, _now_ how was I going to call this in? Granted I didn't like Lung but I didn't want him to _die_. I looked down the alley. We weren't far from the Boardwalk, maybe only about four or five blocks. Even with it being this late there had to be someone there who would let me use a phone.

The sound of shearing metal broke me from those thoughts. I spun around to see Sebastian standing next to the phone looking downward at the change tray in his slightly distorted hand. "Ahem. How many of these do you need?" He asked me was he jiggling the tray, bouncing the change inside. "There's a lot in here."

I wanted to scream at him, '_Will you stop breaking the law!' _but didn't. In the end I just stared at him for a moment before walking up to him and picking up two quarter's out of the tray.

I muttered thanks, picked up the receiver, then put in the quarters before dialing the number I memorized just for this eventuality. I did my absolute best to ignore the quarters bouncing out of the hole in the phone box. I refused to acknowledge the sounds of them rolling away.

"PRT Emergency Response. What is your emergency?" the operator stated with professional boredom.

My eyes darted to Sebastian and the change tray in his hand. The irony of this situation was not lost on me. I took steadying breath. "Parahuman fight. Docks, just past the corner of Jostlen and California. Lung was unconscious and on site. He's pretty beaten up and should be treated for toxicity. Specifically, insect venom's and stings. He was shot several times with a shotgun and may also have a broken spine. At last sight, no other ABB members in evidence, but that may have changed by now."

I somehow managed to say all that without even a hitch in my voice. I would have been proud if the situation was anything but what it was.

For a moment it was silent on the line. "Are you serious? Because, crank calls to an emergency number…"

"Yes I'm serious. Are you going to do something or leave him there to bleed to death?" I stated resisting the urge to shout.

I heard a flurry of typing in the background. "Your name?"

I hung up turning to Sebastian just in time to see him dump the change into his duffel.

My eye twitched again.

Sebastian was already securing his bag and hefting it to his shoulder by the time I turned away heading to the Boardwalk. Like the quarters, I tried to ignore the discarded change tray in the street.

_The least he could have done was put it back..._

I sighed not even bothering to bring it up. There was just too much to process as it was. It was only about four blocks away now. We didn't make half that distance before he spoke. Once again breaking me from my thoughts.

"What did I do wrong?"

I snapped my head to look at him. "What?"

"I did something that upset you. What was it?" He asked.

I blinked, stunned for a different reason. Sebastian actually looked confused. His confident air was gone replaced by uncertainty. I hadn't replied after several long moments, still trying to wrap my head around him. "What?"

I stopped walking when he did. "Your body language screams I did something wrong and you're upset." His eyes darted uncomfortably to my hands. It was then I realized I was wringing them as we walked. "If you told me what it was, I'd explain. If I am in the wrong, I'll own it. Be the least I could do, this is your city, after all."

_What the hell? _"What makes you think it's about you? You can't see my face or read my thoughts." A panicked thought hit me as I said that. "Can you?" Somehow, I don't think I would have been surprised. He seemed to do everything else.

He shook his head. "No, but do you know how hard it is to read a Quarian? Turian's are hard as hell to read, but at least you get to see their faces enough to get a feel for their body language. Quarians though? You have to know what to look for, and let me tell you something, outside of really obscure Asari databanks, or Fornax, and that's not really reliable, there was precious little to research when I went looking. Compared to that, reading humans in costumes isn't that hard." He gestured to my hands which were still together. "Besides, Tali used to do that when I'd done something she didn't like, or if she had to talk to me about something uncomfortable. I'll grant you I don't know you that well having only met you a few days ago, but I know I did something."

"You recognize me?" I asked horrified.

"Tay…"

I jumped forward putting both hands on his chest. My actions had the desired effect as he immediately quieted. I reached out with my power taking control of every single insect in my reach. I should have been doing that the entire time. I wanted to kick myself for being so distracted but could anyone blame me? As I silently looked him in the eye I immediately began moving them around the full extent of my range looking to see if anyone was around. Sebastian stood silent while I hunted and remained so until I confirmed that there was no one closer than a full city block.

"Don't do that!" I hissed.

I could see in his eyes he was getting slightly frustrated. "Do _what_?"

"Say my real name! You don't do that to someone in costume! How can you not know this stuff but you seem to know all the other stuff you do?"

Sebastian stood silently as I realized how stupid this was. Here I was, holding him to the wall as if he couldn't just break me in half by batting his eyelash.

I swallowed. _Like he broke Lung..._

When he did speak his words seemed calmly measured. "Alright. Then what am I supposed to call you?"

That through me. I released him backing a step away keeping some of my attention on my bugs to make sure we didn't get overheard. "I...I don't know. I haven't picked out a name yet."

At the pained expression on his face I couldn't help but firing at him in my frustration. "Do you know how hard it is to come up with a bug themed name that doesn't make me sound like a joke or a Villain? What about you?"

"Me?"

"You're a cape." I stated as if that explained everything.

"No, I'm a Biotic."

"You have powers." I stated resisting the urge to grind my teeth. "That means you're a cape. No matter what your powers do or what you call them."

Sebastian shook his head. "Maybe if I was born here I'd agree with you. But I'm not from around here."

"Come again?"

I lost the ability to resist clenching my teeth when his eyes lit in humor complete with him visibly biting his lip. As I realized what I said, and how juvenal he was acting about it, I still had to admire his restraint. If I thought for even an instant that I'd survive, I would have smacked him.

"Explain. Who are you?"

"That's a long story."

"Short Version."

"Would still take a long time to explain."

I couldn't help it and growled. "The_ really_ short version."

He tilted his head slightly as he looked me in the eyes. I watched as the playfulness dwindled. I suddenly felt bad for pushing this, it looked almost painful. After a moment he pulled himself together straightening into a very stiff, very formal posture.

"Alright. My name _is_ Sebastian Shepard. Formally, Commander Sebastian Shepherd of the Systems Alliance. I was born a natural latent Biotic on the planet Mindoir of the Mindoir System in 2154; Earth Standard. Judging by extranet research I've been able to access I believe I am from an alternate reality, though it is extremely unlikely to be parallel to your own. For some reason I have yet to determine, I have been exiled here for the last six months."

Whatever I had been expecting, that was not it.

"Oh. Well. Shit."


	8. Southside 1

**Southside 2.1**

The bus hit a pothole causing me to grab the seat in front to keep my balance. There were only a few other passengers. Everyone had that worn look I learned to associate with out of work and looking. It wasn't as out of place as out of towners' would have thought. Dad knew that better than anyone.

I sighed. Just thinking of him reminded me of our problems. Or, more precisely, my problem with him. Apparently, he heard me sneaking back in the other day. I was so out of it from everything that happened I didn't even bother making sure my entrance was quiet. Besides, Dad usually slept like a log. The house could have exploded and he'd sleep through it. So it was just my luck that he knew I snuck out and was waiting. I was going to have to do something about that. I wasn't going to be able to do anything cape wise like this.

Especially when I'm grounded.

The bus jostled again as it slowly started moving through the green stoplight. Well not really grounded, but this was as close as I've ever been to being 'grounded' before. Restricted was more like what the last few days have been like. I couldn't go for my runs in the mornings before school and he was waiting when I got back. All so we could 'talk' if I felt like it. At least he didn't try forcing me to talk so I could at least hide in my room, but I really missed my runs.

After Dad confronted me about being out late at night and my flimsy excuse of not being able to sleep, he asked the one question I really wish he wouldn't have. Was I with Sebastian?

I hated lying to my Dad. After Mom died it was just the two of us. Just the two of us trying to hold everything together. I wouldn't go as far as to call us the poster family for dysfunction, but I'll admit, we had issues. Lying to each other though was never one of them. So, despite the complications I knew it would cause, I told him that yeah, I did see him that night.

I just didn't tell him what we were doing or how I stumbled across him. Not that he didn't draw his own conclusions. His own _wrong _conclusions, but it wasn't like I could fight it much without revealing what I was really doing.

Still…

I grabbed my school bag and got off the bus. Today wasn't too bad I guess. Glue on my seat, a few other things. Might have done something to my locker again but I didn't use it today. Didn't most days really. No matter how many times I changed my padlocks, or even what kind I used, they always managed to get inside it. Just didn't make sense to keep using the thing if whatever I put in it just got messed up. Now and then I typically just put stuff in there to give them something to destroy or take. That way they wouldn't go looking for something more inventive to do. Worked so far.

It didn't take me long to get to the house from my stop to notice, surprise, my dad's car parked out front. Like it had been for the last three days I'd come home from school. This was getting old, and it was only Wednesday. I sighed again mentally preparing myself for another awkward night at home. Like I needed any other reason to hate Wednesday.

I opened the back door seeing my dad sitting at the kitchen table. Practically the same spot, same pose as this morning. It was like he never moved.

"Hey kiddo. How was school?" He asked me with a pained smile.

"S'okay." I muttered truthfully as I passed by heading to the living room. I knew dad suspected what was going on but he never confronted me on it. Nor did I volunteer anything. Would have done any good anyways. Didn't after… well, last time. Hopefully this 'soft' approach didn't mean they were winding themselves up. Planning something. Like a calm before the storm. If they were, I didn't have a clue what they could do that would top January's show stopper. Nor did I particularly think much about it. I'd just have to be more careful not to get caught by them alone.

I put all that out of my mind, taking a seat on the couch. I pulled out my books preparing to do my homework. It wasn't like I'd be doing anything else for the next few hours.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched dad get up bringing the chair he was using into the living room as he had the last few days. He took a seat facing me picking up his book from the coffee table. All so I would know he was right there if I wanted to talk about things.

It wasn't quite like what I imagined being in jail would be like, but I still kinda felt like a prisoner in my own home. I ground my teeth and started doing my homework.

I was halfway through my algebra when he spoke. "This isn't working…" I looked up but didn't speak.

His lanky frame looked weighed down in the chair. Tired. I fought the reflex to wince hating that I was causing it. I watched as he took a moment to adjust his glasses he closed his book, looking directly at me. "I don't like it when you're unhappy Taylor."

I blinked but didn't say anything. He knew enough to know it'd been a long time since I was 'happy'.

"I know things at school are not ideal. I'm just worried that you'll… with everything you're dealing with that you'll… do something that you might regret later."

I groaned covering my face with my hands. This again. "Dad, it's not like that…"

"Taylor. What else am I supposed to think when you sneak back into the house at three in the morning? Especially after you meet a boy to watch the sunrise."

I looked up opening my mouth to respond when he held up his hand. I let him talk. "I love you Taylor."

_Oh, crap. _I sighed. His eyes were confused, slightly hurt, but earnest. Like a puppy that got scolded for something it didn't do. I felt my anger fade quickly. "Love you too Dad."

His smile still looked pained as he got up heading to the stairs. "Taylor?"

"Yeah Dad?"

"Promise me something?"

"Okay…"

"Whatever is going on, please be careful?"

"I…" I turned to look over the couch. He had his back to me, standing at the foot of the stairs.

"I'll be leaving for work soon. Have to catch up on some paperwork. Probably be awhile… Just… whatever your choices, promise me that they are _your_ choices? That you'll be careful?"

For just a moment I considered coming clean. Explaining everything. Tell him what really happened to me in that Locker. Why I'd been so preoccupied for the last three months. The bullying, everything. Clean up this whole misunderstanding. Not everything Sebastian told me about who he was, wasn't my story to tell, but enough that dad understood that he was a cape too and what we did. I tried to imagine what his reaction would be.

Would he understand? He knew mom ran with Lustrum but this wasn't quite the same thing. Nor was it the kind of example that would help me out here. Besides, cape stuff was different back then. Powers were still pretty new and people were mostly still getting used to the idea of capes. It was kind of the cool thing to do back then, hunching for a cape. It wasn't like there were as many as there were now.

I mentally shook my head. No, he wouldn't understand. He'd freak. Dad had almost no interest in capes aside from who was who in the areas his people worked. Didn't mean he didn't know things. Didn't hear things. When times were better and mom was still around I remember them talking with friends they'd invite over for dinners. About some of the kinds of things that went on with the capes they knew of. If I thought I was under guard before I told him I had powers, much less what my first night out was like, he'd lock me up and throw away the key. I'd probably never get out of this house again without an escort.

If ever.

Yeah... Better he thought I was sexually active.

"Alright. Promise." I saw him nod his head wearily. "Does that mean I can start running again?"

I saw his shoulders hitch but he nodded. "Usual rules."

Carry the pepper spray, vary my routes, be home by certain hours. I started packing up my unfinished work. Just haphazardly throwing it all into my bag. "Okay." I said.

By the time I got it all put away in my room, changed into running clothes and got back down stairs, dad was just finishing making his dinner for later. I smiled gratefully at him showing the small tube of pepper spray as I walked to the back door.

"New sweater?"

It was oddly cool for a late spring evening. I'd put it on without thinking since it was warmer than my others were and didn't weigh me down as much. I stopped turning to him with my hand on the handle of the door feeling my face flush slightly. "Um, Sebastian gave it to me."

I saw the pained look on his face as he tried to smile. "Oh. Of course. Don't be out too late. Be _safe_."

I nodded uncomfortably before fleeing. I didn't bother with my stretches just moving into a jog to put as much distance from the house as I could. I didn't push myself very hard but kept up a good pace until I was several blocks away. The distance and exercise helping my thoughts in order and putting that conversation with my dad away.

I haven't been able to talk to Sebastian since last Saturday. What with the way dads been acting. I spent a good portion of my confinement just going over what he said and what I knew of him. This was probably my best chance to get some answers to the questions that kept coming up. I reached into the pocket of my jeans pulling out the piece of paper he gave me that night. I looked at the telephone number on it thinking this had better not be a cell phone. If it was, I was sicking my bugs on him. Whether he could kick my ass or not.

I looked around spotting what I needed making my way to it. I pulled the required change before put them into the payphone. As I dialed his number I couldn't help but look at the change tray.

We really needed to finish that talk.

"Renegade."

"Renegade?" I asked surprised.

I heard him laugh at my surprise. "Hey, Taylor. You're lucky you called today. I was going to have to replace this unit soon. Wasn't expecting you to contact me after a couple of days. _I _would have thought I was Cat Six if I wasn't living this life. Figured I scared you off. Wouldn't have blamed you."

"Renegade?" I repeated. I could hear the sounds of people in the back ground. Way more than I think he would have had at his place. Even if he had roommates. _And of course this is a cell number. Why did I think it would be different?_

"Better than 'The Butcher.' Or a half dozen other things I've been called. Blame Tattletale, she named me a few months ago. Wouldn't call me Shepard for work stuff. Something about it being 'unprofessional'. Said Renegade fit. This is a work comm. I don't stay in contact with many people except either for work, or supplies. What's up?"

Who? Work? _So many questions._ "Can we meet?"

"Sure. Business or pleasure?" He answered easily.

I fought the blush creeping along my cheeks at his question. Even if he couldn't see it. "No costume."

"Alright. Hungry?" I heard a flurry of sounds. Sounded like he was typing something. Where the hell was he at? "There's not much where you're at but if you take the downtown transit to the fifth stop, there's a bunch."

"Why am I not surprised you know where I am?" I muttered.

He must have heard me because he started laughing again. "Blame your public comms provider. Their encryption is shit. Besides, figured putting in a backdoor would be easier than ripping out the change tray every time you need to use a public terminal. Pick a spot, I'll only be a bit behind you by the time you arrive. I'll find you."

I shook my head. "Alright."

I hung up the receiver giving it more than a long look before heading to the nearest bus stop. I don't think I'll be able to look at a payphone the same way again.


	9. Southside 2

**Southside 2.2**

The restaurant I chose had an outdoor sitting area. Even though spring was trying to hold its ground there was enough warmth in the air to let people know it was a futile effort. I just sat in the hard plastic seat at my table a cold tea when Sebastian came walking through the light crowd. I wasn't the only one who found the day comfortable as there were more than a few people milling about. Not exactly summer crazy, even for a popular franchise like this place, but still enough to fill half the seats around the table I chose.

I noticed Sebastian was wearing a heavier jacket than I thought was necessary for the chill. Other than he was also carrying a laptop I recognized from the other night. I didn't comment on it.

"Hey."

"Hi. Thanks for coming. I hope I didn't interrupt anything?" I asked.

Sebastian shook his head as he took a seat across from me. "Nothing that won't keep. Just doing some work on some salvage and wiring a second generator. My power needs exceeded the old one a month ago. Just hadn't gotten around to it."

"Oh."

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

I shifted a bit looking around trying to gauge how close people were to me and if they could over hear. Trying to see if it was safe to talk.

"Doing that draws attention."

"What?" I asked turning to him.

"Looking around is suspicious. Normal people couldn't care what you're saying, or who you are talking too. Too wrapped up in their own lives. Unless there are clues that peak their interest. Humanity loves drama, never let anyone tell you different. Loud noises, unexpected movements, things like that. Visual clues like dress style or differences in appearance. Like if I was older than you. An older man talking to a pretty girl, that kind of thing draws attention."

"Judging by what you said before, you _are_ older than me." I started trying to ignore the fact he thought I was pretty. Probably just making his point, but he still said it.

Sebastian chuckled. "Technically, _you_ are. I'm not even a gleam in my great granddaddy's eyes yet." He kept chuckling to himself as he watched my reactions. "Assuming he's even on this planet. Use your peripheral vision. Associate colored shapes and movement to people. Their details don't matter unless they do something that draws _your _attention, and then you need them. Voice modulation when necessary, like when they are closer. Just not so much that it's obvious you're trying to have a private conversation."

"How do you know this stuff?" I asked already knowing part of the answer even as I took mental notes about how he was talking just like he described.

"Part of my N7 training. Required during the N3 courses. Special OPs officers are more than just guys with really good guns. Though never discount the value, of a really good gun. I found they come in handy in a lot more situations than you'd think they would." He stated with a roguish smile.

I shook my head at his antics, but it was a lead in to one of my questions so I took the opportunity. "Renegade?" I asked.

"Like I said on the comm, Tattletale picked it. Told me using my name for work didn't sit well with her. When I didn't pick a name for myself, she gave me one."

"I don't think I've heard of her. Who is she?" I asked hoping that didn't come out as jealous as it sounded in my head.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice. "Local. We crossed paths a few months ago. I had just gotten my network tied into the local extranet. I was doing test runs on my access algorithms on local firewalls when I stumbled across hers."

A couple of tables away I noticed movement and looked. A couple of well-dressed guys had just taken a seat. I bet they went to Arcadia. Most of the well to do teens did. I turned back to Sebastian lowering my voice a bit hoping it didn't carry over them. "She's a tinker?"

"A what?" he asked.

I frowned forgetting for the moment he didn't know a lot about how capes were categorized. "Tinker powers specialize in technology. They build things. Ray guns, computers, stuff like that."

Sebastian shook his head. "Oh, no. She's not an Engineer. I'm not sure what her abilities are, but she noticed me tunneling through her computer's defenses. She couldn't keep me out but it clued me in someone was trying to so I cut the connection and scattered the trail. Wasn't hard to do. Like I said, most encryption I've come across here is worse than basic..."

More movement at that table distracted me. I needed a better way to keep track of people around us. Through my power I noticed that I had access to several small fliers. Fly's mostly. One of the first things I learned about my power was I always very aware of all the bugs in my ranges. At first it was almost impossible to filter out of my consciousness. Made sleeping almost impossible since they were always doing something and with my power I knew exactly where each of them were and what they were doing.

I knew from reading on the Wiki some capes could turn their powers off and on, but I couldn't with mine. I had to learn how to filter it all out. Took me weeks to get used to it. However, that aspect of my power was something I could use here.

I directed the flies by placing one on each person around us. As they settled down I started mapping everything out in a way that I could make sense of. Another aspect of my power was I knew exactly how far away each bug I was placing was in relation to me. When people shifted in their chairs, laughed, or moved about I knew. The only thing I was really concerned about was how close they were to me so I started filtering the rest out. It wasn't nearly as distracting as I thought it might have been and allowed me to focus more on making sure my voice didn't carry too far.

It only took a few seconds but I was distracted enough I almost missed what Sebastian was saying next. "...ple of days later I came across Parahumans Online. Found a message from her posted there addressed to 'Fly by Night'. Said I could have at least bought her dinner after sneaking in through her window."

I rolled my eyes at that. Tattletale was already sounding like quite the character. "Wouldn't have grabbed my attention but she posted a segment from my hacking algorithm. I figured she was an engineer who must have gotten part of the code before I sanitized it. Piqued my interest enough that I agreed to meet with her."

"Since then she contacts me when she needs a strategist. Tried to recruit me for her squad, the Undersiders. Wasn't interested. I didn't think I'd be here this long and I've been trying to not involve myself. My leading theory then was I might have somehow slipped through time after the Crucible fired. Maybe we damaged the quantum filaments that kept things flowing in one direction or something equally impossible. Could ruin things for the future if I changed too much."

"Oh." A lot of that went over my head. Still, by the parts I understood I could see where he was going with that. "But now you don't think that's the case?"

"No, pretty sold on the idea of an alternate dimension. If only because it makes more sense and I can understand it better. Besides, there was nothing in my peoples past even remotely like parahumans. An alternate dimension is the only thing that makes sense."

"Oh."I waited until a couple of people passing too close went far enough away before I started talking again. Sebastian apparently noticed them too and smiled at me. He didn't know I was cheating, but it still felt good.

"Um, what did you mean when you mentioned being a 'Strategist'?"

"They're criminals. Small time. Pay well and they go the extra mile to avoid harming civilians. I've worked with worse. Now and then Tattletale will contact me when a job of theirs is risky enough that they can't guarantee a flawless execution." He leaned in a bit emphasizing his point. "They're very particular about their reputation."

I fidgeted frowning. "You work with, and rob criminals?"

He shrugged as if it wasn't anything new. "Like I said, I've worked with worse. My old squad was full of interesting characters with a diverse background. I learned a long time ago, the best of the best doesn't necessarily come from the upright and honest. As for robbing criminals, I need resources. They have them. If you're fast, careful, and efficient, you can make a lot of credits robbing criminals. Feels good too. Besides, it means less jobs, takes less effort to rob one criminal storehouse compared to trying to get it through any other channel. Tech is expensive. Even garbage tech. Probably because it takes a lot more of it to get to where I want."

"What about reprisals? Aren't you worried there going to want their stuff back? Or even revenge?"

Sebastian shrugged obviously unconcerned. "If they can find me, they're welcome to try."

I felt a slight chill race down my spine at the tone in his voice. There was something about the way he said that which made me think trying would be a very bad idea. I had a momentary flash back from our fight with Lung. Yeah, defiantly a bad idea.

I decided to change subjects. That one was skirting way to close to things best left unsaid for the moment. "What are you going to do now?"

"Do?"

"Well, have you thought about going to the Protectorate for help? Maybe they can find you a way home." I suggested.

He shook his head. "I considered it when I discovered that this world knew of, and had access to other dimensions. I was surprised how common the knowledge was. In my dimension, if something like that existed it would have been hushed up and buried so deep only the Council would have known if it's existence. Anyway, once I learned of the communications channel with what your people call 'Earth Alph' I went looking for others. What I found was references to very specific legislation banning any other attempts to gain access to other worlds. Not that I can't understand why, but that led me to discover that should any D.C. be found they were to be detained indefinitely."

"D.C.?"

"Dimensional Crossover."

"Why would they do that?" I asked confused. I knew of the policy of not actively crossing over to other worlds because it was believed it could cause a war, but it didn't make sense they would hold someone forever if it was accidental. With all the weird powers out there, you would think it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Sebastian shrugged. His eyes darted for just a moment to the right before they fixed on me again. Through my power I knew he was checking on a pedestrian that just crossed the road near us. "Not sure. It's classified and hidden behind firewalls I haven't been able to hack yet. I'll need a lot more hardware before I can even attempt it."

"Oh." I muttered trying to ignore the fact he was not only planning on hacking into classified files, but had already likely tried.

"What about you?"

"Oh, well…"

Sebastian opened up his laptop while I tried to figure out how to answer him. "Not sure what you mean. Like, am I going to college after high school? My dad wants me too, and I've thought about it."

"That's part of it. Any idea what you want out of advanced education?"

As I thought about it I realized I hadn't really thought about my future, aside as my career as a hero, since I got my powers. Before I thought about possibly getting a degree in English, like mom. Maybe teaching, but that soured fast in the last couple of years. Really, anything to do with school seemed like a bad joke to me now.

As I started to answer, I frowned at how neatly he turned the conversation on me. "No actually. I mean, except for what I was doing last Saturday. Even if I did almost die before you saved me."

"Why not join…" He looked to the screen for a moment before turning back to me.

"Sorry, ever since the other night I've been trying to learn more about your world but I'll be honest, history was never my strong suit. I'm decent at intelligence gathering but I'm far better at using it, than getting it. Ah, there it is. The Wards. Why not join them? Training, protection, they even pay you. Grants for college and the promise of work with the Protectorate. Some of these enlistment packages are pretty nice. From what I've seen of your abilities, you could do really well there. Joining seems to be the thing to do. Like joining the Alliance was for me."

It was my turn to shrug. I ran my finger along lip of the cheap plastic cup that my tea was in as my eyes stared unfocused at the fast food restaurants logo on it. It took me a while to put it all into perspective before I started to explain. "It's complicated. My school life isn't all that great to be honest. I considered applying, but the idea of escaping the stresses of high school by flinging myself into a mess of teenage drama, adult oversight and restricting schedules seemed self-defeating." I sighed as the real reason came out. "Besides, I'd have to tell my dad about...what I can do. That's complicated for a completely different reason."

"Huh." We lapsed into silence for a while. The crowd around us was picking up and I was starting to get worried someone might overhear us. I was thinking of saying something about it when Sebastian started talking again. As I looked up from my tea I noticed he was looking at his laptop screen. "Unrelated question. What do you know of Captains Hill?"

I blushed, fidgeting a bit in my seat. "Um, its way out on the west side. At the top there's a place that's scenic. Popular with the locals. Ocean view kind of thing. See the whole coastline, the whole city."

I looked away. I didn't mention that it was also the place most adventurous couples went. Usually at night so they could be together. I'd heard the stories at school during those times when people forgot I existed. So and so took so and so. They did things or things didn't happen.

As I took a sip of my tea I couldn't help but wonder why he was asking me that. He wasn't suggesting…

Was he?

"Interested in getting wet?"

I snorted my tea. My eyes widened behind my glasses as I covered my dripping nose and mouth with my hand. "Excuse me?" I asked shocked.

I didn't notice when he pulled out his cell, but as I was busy pulling some napkins from the dispenser on the table to clean myself up I saw him looking up from it. I was very thankful he didn't add to my current embarrassment by commenting though I could see the glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "I just got a message from Leet agreeing to trade. Friday night."

"You want me to go with you to meet _villains_?" I asked quietly, still trying to recover from my misunderstanding. Not to mention trying to keep up with the conversation changes. "With_ Leet_?"

He nodded easily. "I figure he'll bring his whole squad with him. He doesn't strike me as the type to meet with a random unknown solo. But the way I see it, why not? Best case scenario it's a quick transaction with the possibility of a new contact. Worst case scenario, we'll have to fight them. Either way, should be fun. I figure Captains Hill is pretty remote from what you said. Matches up with the layout I found. It'd be a good place to talk about that, and a few other things. Getting a bit crowded here."

Feeling like a complete idiot about where my mind was jumping too I nodded. I blamed dad for it. Thinking the way he did about this. "Buses don't run up there at this time of evening." I informed him.

"Not a problem. I have transportation."

"You know how to drive, and have a car?" I asked surprised. I really hoped it wasn't stolen. Though if it was, I can't say I'd be surprised. He seemed to steal everything else he came across.

He smiled widely showing his teeth. For some reason, I started to get a bad feeling about this.


	10. Southside 3

**Southside 2.3**

I unsteadily climbed off the back of Sebastian's motorcycle as quickly as I could without falling on my face. He was insane.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again! You almost got us killed! Where the hell did you learn to drive!" I yelled as I swatted at his laughing frame.

When he said he had a vehicle, I was slightly worried it might have been stolen, but he assured me it wasn't. Said he assembled it from parts he found where he was squatting. When I saw it was a motorcycle I was concerned. Riding tandem was dangerous enough for experienced drivers but he seemed confident enough that I climbed on back anyways.

When he hit the throttle, I was scared. Sebastian seemed to live under the assumption there existed only two speeds. Standing still, and all out. After our first turn, that fear quickly evolved into a terrified panic.

I stood looking at him through the visor of the helmet he lent me. Captains Hill generally took about an hour and a half on bus from Downtown due to traffic stops, traffic itself, and the roundabout distance the roadway was set.

Sebastian made it in twenty.

He paid no attention to the speed limit as we rocketed through the streets of downtown. I still wasn't sure if we avoided collisions with other drivers more from luck than any skill on Sebastian's part. The only thing I did know about driving was that from my own driver's license booklet. Sidewalks were not considered part of the roadway for motorists, you were supposed to stop at all red lights, and you were supposed to signal when changing lanes. That didn't include signaling just before using your powers to jump from an overpass to the roadway below because you missed the off ramp.

I was also pretty confident Sebastian never read that booklet. I lost count of how many near hits we had.

He was still laughing at me. It was almost worth it to out myself right here by sicing my bugs on him just to see the look on his face. There were a lot of bugs here. I could feel them with my power, all of them stilled, waiting for me to direct them. I struggled to calm down as I let the image wash over me.

It'd be totally worth it.

"Taught myself when I was fourteen." He said still laughing as he undid his helmet.

I followed suit. If only so he knew I was glaring at him. "That explains a lot! You're a menace!" I accused as I got free of it.

"In my defense," He stated as he placed his own helmet on the tank of the bike. "I'm a bit spoiled. Most vehicles I'm used to are V.I. operated or have inertial dampeners to cut down on G Forces. I haven't driven anything that didn't, at least, have a gravimetric stabilizing axis in a long time."

Still fuming at his antics I walked over putting my helmet down next to his. Captain's Hill was set up like a grand park. Duck pond in the middle to our right and a large expanse of fairly flat grass spread out over the area. The mountains grew larger the further west you went, which caused the place to get darker quicker as their shadows took over.

I released my hold on the bugs deciding to calm down in a more traditional method. Sebastian matched my steps as I led him over to one of the railings that overlooked the city. It was far enough from the parking areas that we shouldn't be overheard and offered a clear line of sight for quite a ways over the park itself.

I noticed there weren't many people in the park today. Just a couple of families and their kids. My outburst drew attention from some but thankfully none of them were close enough to hear what we said.

I used the same trick from earlier and 'tagged' everyone in my range to keep an eye on them just in case any of them got curious. "You are way too cavalier about this stuff. We could have gotten hurt. Worse, we could have hurt others."

Sebastian nodded to my points not seeming to be too fussed. "True enough, but we didn't. I barriered the one car that got spooked and ran off the road. The driver looked fine."

I sighed as we reached the railing. "He was puking his guts out the second his car came to a stop."

"Well, yeah, but that could have been the Barrier. Some people don't react well to mass effect fields. Other than that, he was fine."

"How can you be so...callous about other people like that?" I asked frazzled. Especially since he treated me completely different.

I watched Sebastian rest his arms on the railing taking in the view of the bay. The view was every bit as good as I heard about though I'd never been here before myself. I mentally snorted at the thought anyone would have bothered to take me, of all people, up here. Not without the trio's say so and only then to do something to hurt me. Not that after the last year or so I would have trusted anyone from Winslow to bring me here even if they had asked.

The landscape fell away showing the city spread out along the bay with the ocean serving as a backdrop. From here the city looked peaceful, idealic. The Docks even looked good framed in the fading light of the setting sun. You couldn't see the masses of unemployed, the slowly boiling cape drama between gangs or heroes, or any of the gritty realities that came with living in a city the size of Brockton Bay.

Sebastian was quiet long enough I worried that in my anger I might have said something he took offense too. When he did finally start talking it was in a very measured tone. "Life experience I suppose."

"You're going to have to explain that."

He nodded frowning slightly. "Alliance recruiting ads are well known for their half-truths." He stated. I wasn't sure where he was going with that but I listened.

"They like to put the best spin on military life as they can. Want to travel? Join the Marines and you can travel the galaxy for free in state of the art Alliance vessels. Want to meet new and exciting races? Enlist and you could find yourself stationed anywhere from the Citadel Embassy Offices, to Elysium."

"What they don't tell you is that the Galaxy is not the wonderful epic we imagine it is. Just like this view. You know better than I do what the streets of this city is like. This view makes it seem like such a great, peaceful place to be. Yet we know how fragile that image is, and how misleading." Sebastian stated unknowingly echoing my thoughts from earlier. I didn't say anything just letting him continue.

"There's roughly about a hundred and twenty year's difference from my time and yours. You really think humanity evolves all that much in the next hundred and so years? Or that humanity has the monopoly on cruelty? Other galactic civilizations are just as messed up as we are. Most of them have been doing it longer than us and are just better at it. Actually one of the first lessons I learned just before I enlisted."

"That's...kinda depressing actually." I stated uncomfortably.

"Yeah, it is. I suppose I'm painting it a bit too black. There's a lot of good out there too. Good people, unbelievable sights to see." He stated confidently as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and his lighter.

I turned when I heard a kid squeal behind us. Must have missed him before. I corrected that as soon as I heard him. Couldn't have been more than six or so by the look of him. He was laughing being chased by his sister who was red faced angry about something. She was older than he was and gained on him quickly. They both tumbled into the grass while their parents looked on fondly.

"Like Mindoir?" I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. "What was it like?" That seemed like a safe enough topic.

"Not much different than here."

"Then Earth?"

Sebastian chuckled. "More like Brockton Bay. Grass was more blue than green and we had two moons. The sky was more violet. Other than that it wasn't that much different. Wild life excepting of course. The main hub of the colony was set into a bay like this."

He pointed outward. Even in the poor light of the fading dusk I could tell he was pointing to the Downtown area. "Some differences of course. Like there? That was where our spaceport was. We even had a place like this called Shaverson's Rest. Named after one of the shuttle pilots of the original landing."

He moved his finger pointing over to the docks area now. "Exogeni had their local headquarters about there. Huge building."

"Exogeni?" I couldn't help but ask.

"All colonies were sponsored by someone. Exogeni was the biggest. They offered pay and land grants to colonists who signed on. The better your skill set, the more you got. You still worked for them doing whatever they wanted you to, usually studying something they were interested in that the survey team discovered. For Mindoir, that was the Glitter Caves way out in the Sawthorn Mountains."

"Oh wow."

"Of course," he continued. "The colony itself wasn't much more than a collection of prefabs all strung together in grids. At least, there at the hub. I didn't live close to the port. Dad had a stake about three hours northwest of it. Grew up out there. Only came into town when Mom was on leave."

Sebastian was smiling around his cigarette which made me smile. It reminded me of when we watched the sunrise last week. "Your mom was military?"

"Second Lieutenant Samantha Shepard." He nodded. "Career Military in the Fleet. Had her heart set on sitting in the big chair one day. Her own command."

I noted the slightly sad expression on his face as he talked about his mother. "That had to be hard on you and your dad."

"It was." It was stated so matter of factually that it caught my attention. "Hardly ever saw her. Though every time I did, it was great. Ended too soon of course, but that's military life for you. Dad didn't want me growing up living on one ship or another. Worse, one posting to another. So, when they found out she was pregnant, dad signed on with Exogeni as a Xeno Botanist. Mom had me there when she was due."

Something about his voice was confusing. He had a smile on his face, but a sad look in his eyes that I couldn't figure out. "You didn't like it?"

"I didn't dislike it." He stated flicking the butt of his cigarette over the cliff face. It was quickly lost to the shear drop in front of us. "I understood why things were the way they were. I dealt with it."

I frowned at that. "I'm not following. What do you mean you 'dealt' with it?"

"I told you I was a latent Biotic, remember? Well, back then Biotics were pretty new to Humanity. We didn't know anything about it until after we joined the galactic community. At first we thought it was a quirk of alien biology, but when humans started manifesting them things got dicey. Studies were done, and not all of them exactly legal. It wasn't unheard of back then to hear of people dosing pregnant women with Eezo or causing accidents in orbit that dumped it over colonies. Those were just the most common, there was a lot worse done."

"I don't think I completely understand that either. 'Eezo'?"

"Element Zero. The catalyst for generating mass effect fields. For every biotic that was born healthy from exposure to eezo, ten were born deformed or had cancerous growths. Of those, maybe half made it to adulthood. Most wished they hadn't. With our expansion beyond the Sol System, humanity was going through a population boom. Just so you know, humanity did a lot of colonizing before the First Contact War. We went from only living within the system of our birth, to colonizing dozens of worlds. So I'm sure you get the idea of the kind of numbers here."

I felt a shiver run down my spine at the picture he was painting. It reminded me of some of the horror stories that came up every now and then. People doing horrible things trying to force people to get powers or doing certain things to try and create certain powers in people they experimented on. It seemed that the more people learned about powers the more horrific the stories became. Not to mention, in those rare times when it actually worked, the tragedies that usually followed when the newly powered went on a rampage. That was actually more common that I liked to think about.

The sun had set far enough behind the mountains that it shrouded us in darkness without me noticing. The lights of the bay were alive all throughout the city. In a way, it felt like we were all alone up here. I turned away from the view to take in Sebastian's solemn expression. "How old were you when you started showing powers? Um, you call them biotics right?"

"Yeah. About four, my dad said. I was angry and threw my cup. Luckily I missed my dad, but it cracked the plexiglass window of our house. You probably don't understand that, but let's just say plexi is pretty strong stuff. Think transparent, industrial strength plastic. I think the equivalent you have here is roughly about six inches thick for the half inch we used."

"Fuck." I breathed as images started rolling through my head. "I only got my powers a few months ago. I can't imagine what I would have done if I had them at four."

Sebastian nodded understandingly. "Yeah. So dad called mom, and mom took leave so they could talk. They decided to not say anything but dad kept watch on me after that. By the time I was seven, my control was enough I was experimenting. Mom took leave again."

"I'm guessing that's not very common?" I asked getting a feeling where this was going.

"No." he agreed. "By that time others had also shown potential, but didn't have nearly the control or the power I was showing. Things changed after mom showed that time."

I watched as Sebastian kept his eyes looking over the city. I was sure he wasn't seeing the view anymore. "I remember being excited because mom was home earlier than she was supposed to be. Couldn't sleep so I snuck down finding my parents arguing. It was the first time I realized what my abilities were doing to them."

I swallowed not liking the picture that was forming.

"I was too young to fully understand everything but what I did understand was that they were afraid. Afraid of me and what I could do. Afraid of the control I had. One of the things I haven't mentioned was that in order for most biotics to use their abilities, they needed to have an implant installed. It helped the biotic harness and control their powers to create desired effects. At least, according to the Asari. They pretty much wrote the book on biotics so that was that. Everyone conformed to their way of doing things since it worked so well."

"But you didn't need one?" I asked.

"I got one later when I joined the Alliance, but back then? Nope. Granted, I wasn't strong enough to challenge a Battlemaster but I was strong enough to spook my parents. Enough so that mom took a week of family leave when she didn't have it."

I watched as his eyes seem to harden. "I gave it up. Stopped using them all together. Tried to pretend I couldn't. Dad noticed right away. I figured he knew, or at least knew enough to guess I overheard some of what was said."

He gave it up. Ever since I got my powers, they were all I could think about. I even began hinging my future on them and what I would do to help people as a cape. I thought of my dad. If something happened, and he found out, could I do that? Was I strong enough to just not use them anymore if he asked me? Could I do that? Just be like everyone else?

I didn't like the fact I couldn't answer those questions.

I followed Sebastian when he turned from the railing taking a seat at one of the overlook benches behind us. He leaned on his elbows cupping his chin. Eyes still looking lost as he continued. "Through myself into schooling when I got older. Didn't have many friends. Community was pretty close knit and there was a prejudice against biotics because people were afraid of what they could do. Either by design or accident. So I studied. Found I had a knack for mathematics and machinery. Pleased dad to no end. He bought me my first Omni-tool when I was twelve and a rebuild kit for a Skyliner."

His mood lightened as he talked and I was happy to see his smile return. "Skyliner?" I prompted him. This was probably the first true smile on his face the entire time he had talked about his growing up.

His chuckle made my smile wider as my mood seemed to lift with his. "It's not that much different than the motorcycle back there. Except, no wheels. Uses mass effect fields to keep it up. Took me a year and a half to build it. Spent the next eight months modifying it with every mod I could get my hands on and some I had to cobble together. Must have explored half of Mindoir on that thing. By the time I was sixteen it was barely recognizable from the standard package."

If anything his smile got wider. "I would escape into the outback every chance I could. Eventually led me out into the Roclaws." Sebastian turned to me with an animated expression. "A vast stretch of canyons and cavernous mountains some of the locals would race through for kicks. It was addicting back then. Pushing the limits of the bike and my skills at high speeds. Knowing if either failed I'd be shredded long before I knew it."

"When I was running the track, it was like the volume got turned down. Nothing mattered anymore. All that existed was the next turn, the next stretch. Would I be able to ride the wall enough to cut a second off my time, or would I clip one of the protrusions so that I'd lose control and crash? Could I cut that corner enough to be inside of that guy, or would we both end up as paint on the wall?"

"Eh, truth be told, I wasn't very good, but I loved the feeling I got doing it. Always a new challenge to out think. Pushing my skills and mortality to the edge. Out fighting the other racers around me. Felt like being free. I never won a race, think the best I ever did was come in fourth, but I really loved doing it."

There was something in his voice as he finished that jarred me. Something final. "Something happened." I stated. It wasn't a question really. I could tell that much. He didn't answer right away, instead pulling another cigarette pausing only long enough to light it and gather his thoughts.

We were too far from parking area for the lights to do more than intensify the darkness around us. His words were smoky in what little light there was. "I learned what I was _really_ good at."

I swallowed. His tone sounded dead, emotionless. Even his eyes were hard. Seemingly to be holes of blackness in his face. "Like I said before, the galaxy isn't what the vids paint it as. I just finished installing an upgrade to the Skyliners thrusters and was testing them out when we found out the truth the hard way. Colony was attacked."

"Fucking Batarians." He growled. "The Alliance and the Hegemony had been butting heads for years over expansion rights. The Batarians firmly believed that the Attican Traverse was theirs and that Humanity did not have any rights to settle there. In the clash that followed the Citadel Council sided with us, and the Batarians closed their embassy in protest. This was all news back then, but it didn't feel real enough to bother about it. It wasn't like it would affect _us_ after all."

"Tensions had apparently ratcheted up enough by this point. They attacked. But it wasn't enough to destroy the colony, they wanted slaves. Wanted to add insult to injury I guess. I was halfway through the track when I heard the first explosion."

His chuckle as he paused was bitter. "Almost killed myself when it hit. Thought I clipped the wall and was crashing before I realized I was fine. I shot out of the canyon to get a look to see what had happened thinking maybe a transit shuttle went down nearby. That was when I saw three skimmers over the Stockton's stake. The explosion was their rover getting disabled. The survivors were already being rounded up."

"There was nothing I could do about it except get caught myself. So I fled. Pushed the bike harder than I did during the races trying to get home. Make sure dad was alright. By the time I got there, it was already over."

"Dad apparently had put up a good fight. When I got there half the house was burning. Several Batarians were dead outside, shot. Never did find anything substantial of dad left. They must have figured he wasn't worth capturing and blew the house up just to get rid of him."

Sebastian's voice was calm. Like he was giving a report on events and not something he lived through. In contrast my breathing was anything but as I listened. Horrified by his experience. "At first, I was in shock. It just didn't seem real. No idea how long I stood there watching my house burn but it was a while I guess. I didn't break out of it until I heard another explosion not far away from the McKinnon stake. Then I felt the something. Anger. I found a rifle on the ground, picked it up, and raced over there."

He flicked the cigarette outward so it flew over the cliff. I kept my eyes on him as he leaned back on the bench. "I didn't even slow down. Just awkwardly balanced the rifle on the handlebars and fired. Actually the first time I ever fired a gun, dad didn't approve you know? Anyways, I manage to drop two before they knew what hit them. One of them got off a close shot with a grenade launcher. Close enough that it threw me off the Skyliner. The bike ended up killing one of his squadmates as it barreled into him, and I was thrown close to the house."

"Lost the rifle in the fall but I was alive. Surprised the hell out of me when I didn't find anything broken. Didn't realize it at the time but I used a barrier to protect myself. Mass accelerated rounds were neutralized as I ran behind the house where I found John. They shot him up pretty good and he was bleeding out when I threw myself behind the cover he was laying behind. Must have happened right before I got there."

Sebastian's voice lowered so I had to lean in to hear him. "I've never forgotten that moment. John laying there, blood running from his mouth. Gaping wounds to his chest, missing arm. Voice so hoarse I could barely make out the words he said. Never forgot those either. _'I fucking hate you Shepard. You're a biotic freak… A monster… but you're OUR monster… I don't care what you have to do, I don't care if you die… you don't let them get my sister..."_

Sebastian was quiet for a long time after that. I had no idea what to say and just stayed quiet next to him. I still struggled trying to wrap my head around how horrible that must have been when he started speaking. "I don't remember a lot of what happened next. Gunfire and smoke. Explosions and screams all jumbled together. By the time the Alliance finally arrived I had the Mckinnons out front under sheets. The area was littered in smoking craters and broken skimmers. M… Marleen was the only one to make it from her family. She sat huddled not far away. Just watching me as if I would attack her next but not willing to be away from me in case the Batarians came back."

"Found out later the Batarians managed to get about two-thirds of the colony. Some fought back for all the good it did. When the Alliance Response Team hit the ground they got bogged down in a ground war they couldn't win. Batarians had dug into the colony hub where they were processing the slaves they had gathered. They used the colonists as a shield as they stuck control implants into the backs of their heads. Marines tried to free them, even managed to get a few. Not many, and it cost a lot of marines their lives. As it happens, Mom was one of those. Ever since that night she came home to talk to dad about my abilities, she kept herself attached to whatever fleet was closest. Just in case something happened. She thought I was with the other colonists in the slave pens. Gave her life trying to free them."

"Oh god, that's so horrible. Is what happened, that's why you see people the way you do?"

"Sort of." Sebastian said. "It was the first time I learned the underlying truth to the galaxy. Good things don't stay good by themselves. Inspiring sights will get blown up. Good people get killed all the time. When you're thinking galactically? The numbers really start getting terrifying. Good things have to be protected by someone or there won't be anything left for anyone to enjoy. That day, I managed to save only one. Afterward things didn't make sense anymore. Half the reason I joined the Alliance was I was looking for a way for it all to make sense. I was in basic when things clicked."

"My Drill instructor in Basic was known for two things. The first was a saying anytime he thought we were not giving all we had. Accused us of 'GoldBricking' and harassed us until we got back to work."

Sebastian paused to take out another cigarette. "The other was one that didn't come up often. Probably never more than once or twice a training rotation. Always when someone would ask why he pushed us so hard. Someone always did."

"Gunnery Chief Ellison would look at them and say, 'This is a simple game of numbers people. Fact is, they have more. If humanity is to stay in the game with any hope of success, then we have to be better. For every one of us that falls, we take twenty of them. Marines exist for this purpose. To make it so costly to kill us, that they have no choice but to coexist with us instead. We maintain peace, because any alternative is too costly to contemplate."

"I remember thinking back to Mindoir. I saved one, and according to the reports, I killed over a dozen in the first round. They sent reinforcements and I killed them. There wasn't a third. _That_ was an equation that made sense. I built on it, based my career on it. Someone had to step up and be the monster that kept the other monsters at bay. Someone had to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Someone who was able, _willing_, to do what was necessary to see it done. Anyone could have done it. Just so happened, I found I was _really_ good at it."

"What the fuck am I doing..." Sebastian muttered tossing the half burnt cigarette away before putting his face in his hands. "Sorry, not the conversation I had planned to have with you."

I tried to comfort him by awkwardly putting my hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. I'm guessing you don't have many people to talk to like this, even before you ended up here."

With his head still in his hands he shook it slightly. "Not really. I had a good squad who were all good people. Friends. All of us united in purpose for the things we were trying to do, but when you're facing extinction there isn't time to think about the past or maybes. You just deal with it, keep going. I told Tali the most, but there never seemed to be time for any honest 'heart to heart'."

"Maybe when you find a way back?" I tried to console him.

He finally looked up. "Won't matter even if I did make it back. They're all dead. I was the only one to make it to the Citadel in the final push. Tali took a hit right at the end. I don't see how she would have survived. As for the others, they were scattered all over the planet. Some of them might have survived, but I wasn't as close to them as I was Tali. Garrus maybe, but he was with me. He fell before Tali did."

If even a quarter of his life was like what I'd learned so far, was it any wonder he was the way he was? How much horror could anyone take before they simply started going through the motions? Desensitized to the point that caring took _effort_.

I was broken from my thoughts when he spoke. "What I really wanted to talk to you about was this trade with Leet, and maybe what we could do afterward."

"What do you mean?"

"If things go right with Leet, I'll have something that's going to change the scope of the game. It looks like I'm stuck here, so I might as well make the adjustments necessary and cope. I was curious if you wanted to team up?"

"Seriously?"

"Sure. You want to help people but you said that you didn't want to join the Wards, so I assume that means you're not going to join the Protectorate later. This city's overrun with crazy ass people hurting civilians. Like that guy we took out."

That was true. More so than I think he understood. Lung was scary, and his gang was practically psychopaths, but they weren't the worst in the city. "This is your world and you know the city," he continued. "I know how to fight and win. We'd make a good team."

"First of all, assuming we tried to do that and lived, never mind succeeded in taking out the leadership of the city's gangs, they'd unite to take us out. That kind of thing has happened before, in other cities." I cautioned him even if I was starting to like the idea.

"So we start smaller, and don't get caught. I'm going to need a lot of resources if things go well Friday. We can hit their storehouses, pick off the lower membership. Without a sponsor, like your PRT, we'll need a way to add to our inventory. I'm going to have to get it from somewhere. Might as well be the criminal element of the city. I've been doing that anyways but if you wanted, we could do a lot more."

I nodded agreeing with him. He did have some good points. My next thought had me frown slightly as I looked up from the grass I was staring at. "No killing. I mean it."

He frowned but I continued on trying to get him to see my point. "Look, it's just too...permanent."

"Permanent is pretty effective though." He stated with his frown still in place.

I winced. "It is but it's going to make the local heros come after us. Eventually, we'd have every cape in the city targeting us. We won't survive like that."

"True enough." He acknowledged. He stayed quiet a moment while thinking things out. "Okay, how about this then. Since this is your city, you call it."

"You want me to be the leader?" I asked pointed at myself stunned. He couldn't be serious about that.

He was.

"Sure. In a way you're right. This isn't the same thing as what I'm used to. The Alliance utilized me in a much more straightforward fashion. They had a problem they wanted gone, they sent me and I made it go away. I wouldn't say they outright encouraged my methods, but they didn't curb them either. I learned what lines I couldn't cross, which weren't many mind you, and those they would turn a blind eye too. By the time I attained my N7 designation and received my officers' commission my career was built on that. The Alliance knew the value of a good monster. Especially if it followed orders and stayed in the bounds they imposed."

He smiled at me. It wasn't his nice smile. "Don't get me wrong, monsters have their uses, and people can even tolerate us for that reason. But let's be honest here. Monsters don't make 'good people'."

The causal way he referred to himself got to me. I found myself going over what he told me earlier and what he was saying now. "I don't think you're a monster, Sebastian."

His smile softened. Apparently appreciating the sentiment. "We both know I'm not exactly what you would call a 'good' person. If I was, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

I smiled back at him hearing the words tumbling out of me before I knew what I was saying. "You're good to me."

My words make him blink. In the night that was around us his smile was harder to see but it looked like he was bemused by what I said. I didn't say anything more on it. Just turned away before he noticed my blush. Looked out onto the city spread out before us thinking of the things he said, and his idea.

Even with everything he told me so far, I couldn't wrap my head around the things that happened to him or how people used him afterward. And that was what it looked like to me. His 'Alliance' took someone who just lost his home, both his parents, got lost in a powered rage, and then basically said, 'Good job. You should do that more often. Join us and we'll let you. We can teach you how to do it better.'

_So wrong_ I thought. No wonder he acted the way he did. Between not being from this world and having no ties to it, and all that, was it any wonder he came out all callous and cold? My following shiver had nothing to do with the evening chill.

The thought that hurt the most was that Sebastian was probably more broken than I was, and I had no delusions I was a model person. I had my own bag of tricks, as people say. What said more was that even through all of that, what he thought of himself, all the things that happened to him, he still tried to protect people. He wouldn't have given me his sweater otherwise. Wouldn't have jumped to help a stranger in trouble by fighting Lung either.

I don't know how long we sat there, looking over the city quietly before I voiced my conclusions. Everything crystallizing before me. "I suppose if we're going to team up, I'd best figure out a name for myself. It's not going to look good for our rep if everyone is calling me 'Bug Girl' or something equally stupid. Any suggestions?"


	11. Southside Interlude Tattletale

**Southside Interlude: Tattletale**

Lisa's sighed in frustration. "I tried. He wasn't interested."

_"Try again. Everyone has a weakness. Or a vice. Find his. I don't like wildcards, nor do I tolerate them."_

"I understand." she muttered. He was determined, one way or the other to see this done. Even without her power she knew there was no point in arguing any further.

_"Good. This is what I pay you for. I will be expecting your call soon with that information."_ The voice stated firmly before he hung up.

Lisa lowered the phone to the table before pushing back a stray lock of her blond hair. The boss was rattled. In the last year she worked for him she'd never heard him rattled before. What the hell did Shepard do that would have gotten the boss's attention, much less this reaction? He wasn't an active cape in the sense that other solos were. He didn't get into flashy fights, didn't pull any jobs that put him in the public eye, nor was he out to make a name for himself. When he went out as Renegade the only evidence of him doing so was the fact a villain got robbed. Granted there was the occasional body count but people got killed all the time in the city. This was doubly true for henchmen. No one had a clue who was doing it, and everyone was blaming everyone else. The chaos suited the boss just fine up until now. So, what changed?

She thought about using her power to see if she could figure it out but decided not to. They had their own job tonight and Brian would get upset if she ended up with a migraine before they even left. This was one of those the boss asked them to do so they couldn't really back out of it. Especially with the mood he was in.

Instead she opened her laptop using her power just enough to get the days pass codes to remotely access the Protectorate security feeds. Maybe they knew something.

While she waited for the feed to upload she looked around their flat. Alec was lazing on the couch playing one of his games. Rachel must have left at some point since Lisa didn't see her anywhere. A quick check to the time on the computer told her that it would still be a while before Brian showed up.

Good, no distractions.

"You talk a lot of shit for a little bitch about to get fucked up." Alec mocked to whoever he was gaming with.

_Correction. Not many distractions. _Lisa thought smiling.

"Yeah yeah. Didn't hear your mom complaining about it last night."

Lisa shook her head chuckling to herself at the one sided conversation happening across from her. The feed finally finished loading showing her the inside of Director Piggots office. Bland whitewashed walls, blue carpet freshly cleaned. File cabinets along the wall all sat in order without so much as a picture or plant to personalize them. As always her desk was perfectly in order with everything in its place. Paperwork of some kind stacked neatly in trays, pencils in their cups. So neurotic. The fat old woman was sitting at her desk wearing a frown, and a hideous dress suit. Across from her standing stiff as a board was Armsmaster with his arms folded. Lisa wondered if he was just irritated to be in her presence, or if the room itself irritated him. She never could figure it out but he always looked like that when they had these meetings.

Lisa wished she had some popcorn. These two were always good for a laugh. She raised the volume on her speakers to listen in.

_"It's been a week."_ Piggot spoke. _"So, in light of that, what have you learned from your investigation?"_

_"Nothing."_

_"...Nothing."_

"Crap. There went that idea." Lisa muttered to herself.

From across the room her roommates loud voice intruded. "BOOM! Got you! Stupid campy asshole. Learn how to play the fucking game before you talk shit."

His voice trailed off continuing to insult whoever it was he was insulting this time. She tuned him out again returning her attention to the screen. Apparently, the Protectorate didn't know more than she did. It was disappointing, but also vindicating.

She opened a second window to go through Parahumans Online while half listening to the continued discussion between Armsmaster and Director Piggot. Even if nothing interesting turned up, it was always fun to listen to these two go at it.

_"I have come to expect a certain level of performance from you Armsmaster. I expect this level of inadequacy from my wards, but not from my Protectorate assets."_

Armsmaster snorted which made Lisa grin. As usual, his reply was crisp, almost bored. _"If you think you can do better, Director, you're more than welcome to do so. The fact is, there is no information to be had. Everything we know as fact was in my report. Nothing concrete has come up since."_

The PO was full of speculation. Ranging from Protectorate cover ups to assassination attempts. The leading theory among 'the tin foil hats' was that a new cape was active in the city but it was anyone's guess as to which side they fell on if it was true. Seemed even the rumor mill didn't have anything either.

_"What does the 'Think Tank' say about this? Surely our division of thinkers has uncovered something to do with this mysterious situation. After all, that is what we pay them for."_

Lisa turned listening closely. That was new. She knew they had thinkers, but this was the first time it was mentioned they had them looking into this.

_"Nothing."_

_"...Nothing. I think this 'nothing' needs an explanation of greater depth, than one word."_

It was like watching a soap opera whenever these two butted heads. A really bad soap opera. Armsmaster was clearly doing his best to needle the Director, who was in turn taking great pleasure in dressing him down. As Lisa listened she wondered if they would actually hit each other this time. Now _that_ would be daytime drama at its finest. The only problem was, who to root for?

_"When tasked with uncovering what happened to Lung before the PRT response team arrived, they replied with the same uncertain recollections as in other past incidents. As it stands, _that_ is the only link between this incident, and the others like it in the last five months."_

_"In each case, I'm sure you recall, when they investigated using their powers the same thing happened. They couldn't get answers, something interfered to remove most of the picture. Just blanks where information should be. We do not know this persons age, sex, height, weight, hair color, costume, tendencies, or goals. In short, we know 'nothing'._

Her eyes widened as her smile got bigger. _So, it's not just me. _Lisa sat back in her chair feeling a weight lift from her. That explained quite a bit. If what she suspected of the boss's powers was true, that would also explain why he was spooked. Especially if one of his plans happened to cross paths with Shepard.

_"And do we have any explanation for this yet?" _Lisa's smile turned into a smirk. Piggot _hated_ being ignorant of what was going on. Woman was a control freak all the way to her flat, crappy shoes.

_"The only thing that makes sense, at least to them, is that this person is the first human Thinker Trump. Tentatively classed Twelve because their ability is interfering with _every _thinker power known and in service. At least when they are directed at them, their activities, their whereabouts, ect."_

_"You don't sound convinced." _Neither was Piggot, Lisa thought. It showed in her next question. _"Surely they can find something. Unless this person is a hermit, there must be someone who knows something! Someone has to know why this person has left a total of fifty dead in my city. I am not going to label this unknown cape with a high level trump rating just because they are too lazy to find answers."_

Lisa watched Armsmaster shake his head. The first movement since he entered her office. _"First, we can't definitely link any of these incidents to any 'one' person or group. As it stands now, the most logical conclusion is that all these incidents are the result of standard infighting among the various villains of the city. It's happened before and would explain why it can't be linked to a single individual. Since, there is _no_ single individual at fault."_

_"Second, if this _is_ the work of one person, that does not necessarily mean he or she is a thinker trump. Unless this person simply sprung from the cosmos fully grown, then yes, there should be people who know who this person is. However, either he or she did spring from ether, or their power would apply to people who know of them as well. Again, this is assuming our thinkers are right, which I am not convinced is the case."_

_"That said, a much more simple explanation is that this person is a stranger class cape. One who is just that good at not leaving clues behind that could give away anything. Suggests someone well trained. Both in their power and in tactics. I stand by my original opinion that we will catch him, or her, the old fashioned way. We will work for it. Everyone makes mistakes. We'll be there when this one does too."_

Lisa shook her head. _No you won't. Not unless he wants you too._

"Anything?" Lisa was so focused on the conversation she jumped in her seat when Brian spoke. She turned to him just as he took a seat next to her at their kitchen table.

"No." Lisa stated closing the laptop. "They can't figure it out either. Whatever, or whoever this is, is messing with their thinkers too, so it's not just me who's flying blind. Armsmaster said the thinkers want to give him a Trump rating. Possibly a stranger."

"And our job tonight? Anything change?"

Lisa frowned. "No. I can get us in, we can get the money and get out without a fuss. No capes on site and we'll be gone long before any get there. Should be easy, but before we get far, something happens. I can't figure out _what_, but something."

He sighed. "I got a bad feeling here. We should call the boss and cancel tonight."

Lisa smiled in sympathy. "Can't, we already said we would. You know we can't back out now. He's never pushed us to do anything, but that doesn't mean he's going to let us off the hook once we're committed."

"Can we just not be where ever you think we're going to run into this chump?" Alec broke into the conversation still not turning from his game.

Lisa shook her head even though she knew he couldn't see it. Half the time getting him to pay attention to 'work' talk was like pulling teeth. The only times they could pull him in to it was like this, when he was distracted by one of his games. "No, because I can't tell _where_. Only that we do. The only reason I know _that_, is because when I try looking for an escape route that we could use to avoid heros, everything distorts. Like the night Lung was going to come for us."

"Shit." Alec cursed as he rampaged through some war torn cityscape.

"Your power still can't confirm if it's trouble or just that we cross paths, right?" Brian asked.

"Yeah." Lisa agreed with a sigh.

"Fuck."

She nodded to Brian's curse. "Yup. Pretty much what I was thinking."

He rose from his seat muttering under his breath while Lisa turned back to her computer. A quick check showed that Piggot was alone in her office so she cut the feed. Instead she pulled out her phone sending a lengthy text message.

If it wasn't for their 'boss' she would have loved this gig. So far being an Undersider had been the best part of her life since she got powers. Then again, if it wasn't for the boss, this 'gig' wouldn't have even existed since he was the one who set this whole thing up.

Her power told her it wasn't going to last much longer though. Eventually he was going to want to move forward with his plans. He was already grating over the fact they couldn't provide the level of services he needed from them as it was. When he finally started pushing them everything was going to change from this easygoing, and fun as fuck lifestyle, to a much more intense regimen. Lisa wasn't sure if she was cool with that, but it wasn't like she had a lot of choice. She knew what would happen to her, or the others, if she tried anything. Of course, what he planned for her was the same thing that he planned to do later anyways. Just happened sooner. The longer she could prolong it, the better their chances of getting out of this in one piece. She just hoped she managed to have enough resources to play when that time came. Or that she didn't get caught before then.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the chime from her phone. Lisa picked it up looking at the short reply.

_XxXExiledXxX_

Sebastian woke. A slow look to the clock face next to the bed notified him it was 1137. As the last remnants of sleep evaporated from his consciousness he went over his checklist for today. Usual routine, prepare food, final checks on gear for Taylor and himself, Gear up, head out.

He extracted himself making for the Head. His unclothed body moved with a willingness that, even after months of getting used to it, still surprised him. Not that he was going to complain, but it definitely highlighted just how much action he'd seen in the years prior. Not that everything about it was perfect, but he found he could handle the inconsistencies by comparison.

Morning necessities completed he entered the shower stall letting the barely tolerable hot water wash over him. He sighed in contentment. He should have gotten that other generator going months ago. If he had he could have had the water purifier and heater going this whole time. So much easier than doing it the way he had been doing.

While he luxuriated in the convenience he allowed his mind to roam once more. It was the small inconsistencies that jarred his attention. Like how he looked now didn't quite match up to old memories of himself when he was this age before. Thinking about it he looked at the floor of the stall. Like how his left pinky toe sat misaligned, sideways. It had obviously been broken far in the past for it to rest comfortably with the pad of the toe laying aside the next in line. He couldn't remember when that happened and had never noticed before the months of his exile, but it was that way now. Or the deep wine red mark that covered part of three ribs just below his right armpit. He definitely didn't remember that being there before.

Then, of course, there were his missing scars, acquired over his military career. Those had been missing long before his exile thanks to whatever Cerberus did to revive him. Still, for some reason he kept half expecting them to be there when he looked. Their absence capturing his attention for a moment before he could dismiss them. When you stacked that up against being seventeen again though, it really didn't mean much. There's a lot a man can deal with for a second chance. Third in his case.

Shower finished, Sebastian toweled himself dry. Eventually his movements carried him to a hatch that ran below his living quarters. He easily descended the ladder into his makeshift gym to get his exercises in. Nothing too strenuous due to his later plans, but enough to get the blood flowing and for a light burn. It was finally Friday, and there were still a few matters to attend to. No need to tire himself out now.

A variety of calisthenics at half his usual reps, stretches and a light jog around the cargo hold followed. A familiar routine from years of service. As usual he allowed his mind to blank out as he maintained his physical fitness.

After some time he slowed to a walk to cool down. A quick look to the clock showed it was nearing 1500. Sebastian nodded. Plenty of time to finish his mental list before he had to start getting ready. After he finished the last lap he scaled the ladder returning above deck. He casually walked through his rough living quarters and into the space he set aside for his various projects.

Taking a seat at his bench he checked over the equipment he assembled for Taylor. Foldable baton, good knife, and a 9mm pistol, just in case. He rechecked the harnesses and holsters for them nodding satisfied everything looked good before moving on to his own gear. Not the magnetic versions he preferred but that project was still a long way to go.

Before he could get to his own gear, the comm chimed letting him know someone sent him a message. Sebastian raised an eyebrow when he noticed it was from Tattletale.

Sebastian snorted as he finished reading it. He sent a short reply before leaning back thinking. If Tattletale was to be believed, and her intelligence hadn't been wrong yet, it was probably for the best he was changing his MO. It was curious however, that she was offering information so freely. She'd been doing that a lot lately now that he thought about it.

"Huh. Well, what's the worst that can happen?" He muttered to himself as he went back to work on the chest plate he'd been making for himself. It wasn't his old armor, but it would do for now.


	12. Southside 4

**Southside 2.4**

When I thought about making my debut as a cape, I can honestly say I never thought it would be like this.

Okay, technically this was my second night out. However, the only people who knew what happened were Sebastian and me. Lung knew of course, but I doubt he was going to sing our praises to the PRT about it.

The drive from where we met on the east side of town to here was weird. Probably because both of us were in full costume. Two obvious unknown capes openly driving through town on a noisy motorcycle tended to draw attention. I held on uncomfortably to Sebas… Renegade. I really needed to keep that straight before I screwed up and outed him.

_Renegade_ seemed to understand and kept the bike in the limits of the roadway so all we got was a few odd looks. We even had a cop follow us for like six miles. Well, it looked to me like he was following us. Renegade didn't seem to care but I was worried. Thankfully he didn't pull us over since I knew I didn't have a license and was pretty sure he didn't either. I'm not sure what we would have done if that guy decided to pull us over, but thankfully we didn't have to find out.

I bet someone was going to comment on it tonight online. I'd be surprised if it didn't happen. Hopefully after this thing was done, it wouldn't be in reference to 'the two idiots who got their assess handed to them by _Uber and Leet._ Check out the steam on it!'

That would fucking suck so much.

As I was jostled again I heard Renegade mumble an apology for hitting another pothole. I clutched tighter to him as he swerved to avoid another one but I could see it wasn't going to be much better going forward. My discomfort had more to do with still not used to riding on a motorcycle. Or tandem. As I looked around I could see how far the docks had fallen in the years since the shipping industry went bust. I could see why Uber and Leet picked this spot for the trade. No one came out here.

I was in my own spider silk costume without the helmet. Too restricting I decided. Probably not the best idea considering Renegade's driving habits but I doubted I could get away with wearing both and not feel claustrophobic. Renegade wore jeans with armored plates strapped to his legs, and some kind of hard vestment. I thought it might have been a Kevlar vest, but it was too rough made for something he would have bought. It didn't seem to hinder him as he easily navigated the shabby street that probably hadn't seen a work crew since business dried up years ago. He did wear the helmet.

I felt a guilty sort of pride that my costume looked better. His was more like what other new capes ended up with when they first started out. Something hodgepodge together. Not exactly silly looking, but not exactly something that gives your rep a kick start. Okay, so I spent a ridiculous amount of time on my costume in the last three months. Enough time that if anyone knew the truth, it was a dead giveaway that I desperately needed a life.

But I had a kick ass costume.

"Remember," Renegades voice said in my ear. "The key to dealing with criminals, even moronic ones, is to look confident. You'd be surprised how much that works. If you act like you have the power to break them in half, you've half convinced them you can." The small earpiece he gave me when he picked me up took a lot of the isolation out of the drive. Being able to plan was a bonus too.

"Right," I responded sarcastically. Not too loud since he did something to it that made it so loud noises wouldn't carry over. "...because it's completely within reason that they should be afraid of a five foot-eleven, one-ten girl, in a silk costume." It was really starting to hit home what we were going to be doing. A small part of me rebelled at putting myself in this situation, but a larger part was excited despite my comment.

He must have picked up on it as he laughed. "That's all I'm saying. Hopefully they won't make us prove it, but if they do, then we'll break them in half for the viewing pleasure of their subscribers. It'll be like shore leave on Omega."

The buildings were becoming more numerous as we continued. Factories giving way to old storage warehouses. I hadn't seen a single person in the last two blocks we traveled. That didn't mean they weren't there, just that they didn't venture out to be seen. "You're way too excited about the possibility of breaking people in half." I stated dryly. "Please remember what we talked about. Besides, I doubt Uber and Leet are looking for trouble."

"Shame though, that's the part I was looking forward to the most." His muttered just loud enough for me to hear. I couldn't help but roll my eyes even as a smile formed on my lips. I was getting to know him well enough to understand this was just his way. There seemed to be very few things that he took seriously and I was willing to bet I didn't want to know what those things were. Or be on the wrong side of it.

Besides, if I was honest with myself, I wouldn't mind kicking the crap out of Uber and Leet. Actually kind of a tradition for most of the heroes and villains in the Bay, but I didn't want them seriously hurt. Hopefully they wouldn't push this to the point where Renegade might be tempted to cross that line.

After another few minutes of driving we finally arrived at the arranged meeting place. Judging by the lights shining through the half boarded up windows, they got here first. As the bike slowed to a stop, I wondered what theme they went with this time. Something flashy by the colors that peaked through the building. I dismounted first trying to rub some feeling back into my legs while Renegade shut down the bike. By the time he dismounted I had reached out to the bugs in the area. The selection was disappointing.

Making do with what I had I sent in a few flies to get a feel of what waited for us. After a moment I reported. "Fourteen."

"Not surprised. It was expected." He responded unconcerned.

"It's going to take a bit for the bugs to get here. I have some, but the rest will take a few minutes." I informed him.

That was one of the biggest drawbacks of my power. I was limited to what was on hand. Right now, that was a lot of cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes. I could sense a lot of spiders in the area, but not many of the useful kind. I would have liked to have had access to more wasps and hornets but that just didn't seem to be my luck tonight. Maybe I should start carrying around my own? My costume wasn't really designed for it but I had my small pack. Still wouldn't give me much to work with but it would let me have some of the more useful ones available should I need them. The only problem I could see was where to store them until I needed them. Couldn't leave them at home… I shook the introspection off as I got my head back into what we were here to do. Looking at the warehouse again I figured barring any kind of bullshit power like I dealt with when I fought Lung, I felt I could make it work.

"We have time." He stated. "I didn't think it a good idea to ride through town armed. Pretty sure the local authorities wouldn't have liked it. Turn around; I'll get you geared up."

I turned to him noticing he was taking a knee right in front of me holding some kind of harness. I almost jumped back.

"Hey, um, what are you doing?" I barely got out as he reached toward me.

As usual he didn't seem fazed. "Getting you equipped. Hold still a moment."

My throat dried up as Renegade started winding the harness through my legs and hips. I was acutely aware of his hands even through my costume. I didn't know what to do with my arms so they hung frozen in the air just above him as I tried really hard not move. Or feel.

I failed.

My voice was embarrassingly unsteady as I tried to reply. "A, armed? You mean, like w, weapons?"

His helmet nodded. I tried not to think how close it was… to me. "The other day you mentioned you wished you had something with a bit more bite when you fought Lung. I doubt we'll have to worry about that kind of thing with these guys, but no soldier goes into a situation with any chance of combat unarmed. At least, not in a squad I'm in. Better prepared than regret it later."

It was an offhand comment I made and I didn't necessarily disagree with him. I tried to control my reactions as his hands held firm, if a bit embarrassingly high on my upper thigh. He tightened that side before moving to the next. He was halfway through securing the other leg before I felt I could ask my next question without embarrassing myself. It was bad enough I was slightly trembling. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

Instead of answering me he looked up at me. I bit my lip to stop the idiotic nervous giggle I felt trying to erupt from me. This was so not the time for what I was thinking. "That's not too tight is it? Should be tight enough to be slightly constricting, but nothing that'll stop blood flow or restrict movement."

I shook my head not trusting myself to say anything. "Good." He stated as he went back to it. "I got you a foldable baton, a good combat knife, and a pistol. Personally, I'd rather you used a sub machine gun, pistol, shotgun and maybe a rifle but didn't think you'd go for it. It is a lot of weight and you're not trained for it yet. Maybe later. I had some ideas I wanted to run passed you about a set of hybrid body armor using your materials and my tech that should take care of that though. Your silk would make kick ass ballistic cloth."

"Anyways, gun to your right leg, baton on your left." He stated as he grabbed my hips turning me around so I faced away from him. "Your knife will sit in the small of your back. Since you're right handed, the gun will be in easy draw range with the knife to your off hand. The baton will also make a good off hand weapon. Even if you decide to use either in your primary, it shouldn't slow you down much."

"Gun?" I asked as that caught up to me. It didn't escape me that he wanted me armed enough to take on a third world country but I couldn't seem to bring myself to think about more than one thing at a time.

"Just in case. As I said, better to have one on you and not use it, than need it and don't have it."

"I'm not sure if I'm completely comfortable with this…" I started looking at the warehouse, verifying with my eyes that no one was watching what he was doing. I wasn't sure if I meant the weapons or what he was doing but ran with the next thought that came to mind. "And where did you even get this stuff anyways?"

I felt the harness around my hips tighten getting a slight grunt from me. "Salvage."

_Stolen. _"Right. Stupid of me to ask."

I heard Renegade raise to his feet so I turned around. His helmet kept me from seeing his face but I could hear the amused tone to his voice. "This'll work for now until I can build you better."

Renegade took a moment to retrieve the weapons from the bag on the right side of the bike. Returning a moment later to holster the weapons on me. The pistol wasn't the biggest I've seen, but the knife looked huge. I tried to ignore the added weight. Both physical, and mental.

I watched as he returned to the bike to unstrap the large case. He hadn't told me what was in it, but I figured it was his half of the trade. After a moment to get it free, Renegade easily carried it toward the building.

In the end I decided he was right. It was better to be safe than sorry. My fight with Lung proved there were capes I couldn't handle in a straight fight. Leet was a tinker which meant we could potentially be facing just about anything. Just because I had lethal weaponry, didn't mean I had to use them that way. My bugs were easily just as lethal, but I wasn't trying to use them like that.

The warehouse looked about as bad as everything else in this area. Most of the windows were broken. At some point someone half tried to board them up but did a poor job of it. Paint had faded and creep weed grew everywhere pushing through cracks in the concrete. It was pretty remote, even for a location in the docks. If we did end up in a fight here, at least there wasn't a chance of civilians getting hurt in the crossfire.

Renegade approached a door in the side of the building. An easy pull allowed him to open it and hold it for me. As I entered it was pretty much what I expected to find. Mostly empty aside from a bunch of shipping containers toward the back. Most of the place had been stripped clean over the years, anything left would have been things too big to take, or things bolted to the floor or the building itself.

Uber and Leet stood close to a table that was set in the middle of an open area. Uber's costume was a grey skin tight, circuit board. Glowing neon red lines ran through parts of it. His mask covered his face completely leaving just his eyes visible. Leet was dressed similarly, but his lines were blue. Their henchmen, also identically dressed, had green lines. They didn't have masks, just sort of helmets that left their faces exposed.

I wanted to laugh. I can't believe I was worried. This was classic Uber and Leet. These guys have been around for several years now. As villains went, they were really tame. Every time they went out to do something they mostly chose a different video game theme to impersonate. Sometimes movies, like this, but rarely. I remember watching one of their clips before I got powers, seeing them dressed up as Bowser and Mario breaking into a vault looking for 'coins'. One of the solo heros once took them on and they responded with a Mega Man theme to drive them off. That was back just after I got my powers. I haven't been keeping track of them in the last month or so but I half remembered they went on a rampage stealing cars and beating up hookers some time ago. Things like that.

Apparently, today they decided to go 'Tron' on us. I felt sorry for their henchmen. That _had_ to be uncomfortable for anyone who wasn't a fanatic. I mean, the movie was alright, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't ever see myself doing something like that. As we walked closer I took a look at the faces of the people I could see. Yeah, they looked really uncomfortable.

"What the fuck…" Renegade muttered under his breath. He didn't pause in his stride but his voice told me this was not something he expected, much less recognized.

I replied keeping my voice low so only the headset would pick it up. "I'll explain later."

"This can be _explained_?" Renegade asked disbelievingly as he slightly turned to me .

I tried not to laugh. I tried really hard, but when I replied I could hear how badly I was failing. "Probably not, but I'll try."

As we arrived at the table I managed to calm down enough to continue assessing the area. My bugs scouted the shadows letting me know there wasn't anyone else around. Like I couldn't see them with my eyes if there were, but it was probably a good habit to get into regardless. Movement to my right had me turn slightly to look at one of hanger ons. I almost tripped on my own feet when I saw him. It wasn't until he noticed me looking and turned to fully face me that I recognized him.

I couldn't completely place him at first. Jerry? Or was it Larry? I remembered he worked with dad in the past. Used to be a foreman if I remembered right. One of the people who lost their jobs when the docks shut down and the industry dried up. Mr. Gerry that was it. His eyes locked only for a moment on the goggles of my costume before he lowered them. The Irishman shuffled slightly foot to foot after looking away. He must have been really hard up for an income to work with these guys. Still, if you were going to work with local villains, Uber and Leet weren't a bad choice. At least you didn't have to worry about getting killed.

As Renegade stopped at the table, I amended that thought. _Usually_ didn't have to worry about it. Hopefully nothing would happen. Mr. Gerry was always nice to me the few times I remembered talking to him.

"I don't remember you saying you were bringing anyone with you." Leet asked as his eyes turned to me. His voice was slightly synthesized but I recognized it easily.

"I don't remember asking your permission either. This a problem?" I folded my arms not saying anything, keeping to the script we agreed to earlier. Renegades tone suggested he didn't care if it was a problem or not. "It's not like you didn't bring your own back up."

"Your backup is one person?" Uber asked.

Renegade tiled his helmet slightly to the side. "Good point. Odds do seem a bit one sided. I could wait for a bit if you wanted to call in reinforcements. I'd be good to have something to do while Matriarch deals with those here."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing from what I could see on Uber and Leet's faces. All kinds of surprised and insulted. "Or." Renegade continued. "We can trade."

"You seem fairly confident of the outcome." Leet said.

Renegade shrugged. "You would be too if you saw her put down Lung like a sick animal. So, fight or trade? I'm good with either. Standing here posturing isn't what I had planned for tonight."

Uber looked to Leet nodding slightly. Leet met his eyes for a moment before stepping to the table himself. "You first."

Renegade set the case on the table. By this time my bugs were settling just out of sight but close enough to use if they tried anything. The bugs sitting on the glowing minions told me they relaxed slightly which helped me get a sense of things.

I weighed my options as Renegade opened the case. By far the biggest problem was one of numbers. They had more. One advantage we had was that Leet's henchmen had open helmets. Most of my bugs couldn't do much damage but I was willing to bet that if I swarmed their faces they'd panic. Most people, especially unpowered people, didn't react well to that kind of thing. With that in mind I started massing them close to each of the hanger ons. Due to their costumes I had them group themselves in the darkness above them.

I didn't have many venomous insects to call on but I had a few. I wanted to keep them in reserve for if this went badly so I summoned them to me. With the bright lights from their uniforms I bet their night vision was useless. Like when you're sitting at a campfire. I remember when I was at Summer Camp how everything around it is fine, but once past that, the darkness seemed worse. Keeping that in mind I brought the bugs I selected to the front of the building having them skitter to me keeping to shadows. I made sure they crawled along the backs of my legs to hide themselves in my mostly empty carapace pack. That way they were close if it turned out I needed them.

While I was directing my growing swarm Renegade started talking again. "You brought the power cell I asked for?"

"Here." Leet said as he pulled a small cylindrical thing from a pocket.

Renegade looked at it. I assumed knowingly but it was hard to tell since his helmet kept me from getting more information. "The casing is right. It's charged?"

"Yes."

"Acceptable." From the case Renegade took out a small sphere. He fiddled with it a moment before sliding in what I assumed was the battery. The sphere began to hum slightly.

"You'll need to figure out a way to make it fly, but I'm assuming that won't be a problem for you. Terminal connection?"

Leet picked up a laptop setting it on the table. I watched as Renegade ran a cord from it to the sphere. A moment later Renegade pulled a USB drive from his pocket connecting it to the computer as well. Leet walked around the table to see what he was doing while Renegade began typing. "As I explained before, you're going to need more hardware to get the most out of the drones. From what I've seen from your site your current cameras offer you technologically standard data rates, frame rates, and resolution for the current software and bandwidth availability your clients utilize. The feed is usually grainy or of such poor quality that viewers spend half their time guessing as to what they are seeing. Your older footage was better, but I'm guessing that has more to do with the tech you are using now. What I am uploading will change that."

"First, the codex is unique…" I quickly got lost as Renegade explained. Judging by the looks on the faces of everyone else except for Leet, they were too. Instead of trying to follow along I did my part and kept watch.

Leet asked a few questions which Renegade answered. I concentrated on my bugs. They could move pretty fast when I was directing them. Still, my range was just over two city blocks, and that was a long way for a spider to crawl. Even for me. The time it was taking was starting to get to me so I spent some time experimenting using my fliers to ferry the others. It was easier when I didn't try and micro manage them, just let them do what I wanted on their own. The process sped up dramatically which helped me feel slightly better.

That sorted I turned my attention to the swarms gathering in the building. Or I tried too. My attention kept drifting to Uber and Leet's henchmen. They were looking around bored. A few were whispering to each other. Obviously not interested in the conversation between Renegade and Leet. Though, it was more likely that they just couldn't follow it. Despite what he called his skills, it sounded a lot like what tinker talk read like from the PHO. Dry and impossible to follow unless you were a tinker.

However, the bugs I had on each of them were giving me different information. I had ignored it at first but it was like an itch on your back you couldn't reach. My attention just wouldn't stay away from it.

Could have been the uniforms they were wearing but that didn't feel right. As I paid them more attention I started to notice a few things. They were too tense. The flies on them could feel it. The longer the conversation went the more tense they got. Some of them kept reaching down to the glowing disks they had on their sides. Hands would drift downward to touch them for a moment then move away quickly. Most of the minions kept looking to Uber, then to us, before looking to their fellows. It wasn't just a few of them either. As I watched, they were all doing that. Like they were waiting for something. Anticipating...

A signal.

"I take it that this is acceptable then?" Renegades asked breaking from my spiraling thoughts.

I opened my mouth a bit trying to keep my words as quiet as I could. Thank god for these headsets.

_"Set up."_

"Hell yeah. The cameras we've been using lately suck. This will work perfectly." Leet stated excitedly as he moved around the table to rejoin Uber.

I heard Renegade's reply while Leet was talking. _"Wait for my signal."_

Did he know this was going to happen? If he did why did we go through this whole thing? I held firm to my bugs no longer thinking if I would use them, but knowing it was going to happen in a moment. I noticed that a few of the tron rejects looking at me now. Steadily looking at me. Did I do something that they noticed?

"Glad it passes inspection. Now, your end?" Renegade's voice didn't sound any different than it had before. I couldn't hear anything that sounded like he was anticipating anything.

Leet tilted his head to the side. I bet the smug asshole was smiling. Fucker.

"About that." He stated raising his arm. A weird gauntlet like thing appeared around his arm. "This thing is interesting. Like a tinkers toolkit, computer, and a whole lot of other things I could only guess at all rolled into one. I got a sense for what it did when I made it, but I'll be honest with you, I didn't fully understand how versatile it was until this morning. Your description on its construction gave me a few clues, but using it brought a whole new appreciation for it to the table."

"I'm impressed." Renegade stated. His helmet was fixated on whatever that was around Leet's arm. "I honestly didn't think you could do it. I was half convinced the things I read were bullshit. Well done and with a Savent interface too. A MK Nine or Ten. They were the only ones to use that particular style for the activation grip. Serrice Council makes the best military grade omni-tools. Except that's not a military model. Military models utilize cybernetic implants that soldiers have implanted into their arms. The bracer you made, that's one of Elkoss Combine's works. A Cipher Tool model if I'm not mistaken. Interesting hybrid."

Renegade took a step forward but stopped when Uber pointed some kind of raygun at him. He chuckled. "Yes well, as fascinating as all that shit is, I think we'll just move this along. We happy Leet?"

Leet nodded. "Very." He turned to look at Renegade again. "A little tip new blood. Tinkers don't share their work for a reason. Especially, with villains."

I tried shifting one step to the side but it was enough. All of the minions were holding the glowing discs, whatever they were, and Leet pulled a gun of his own to point at me. "Stay right there."

_"Steady."_ Renegade said. It was quiet enough that it barely came over the headset.

"So," He said louder. "You're going to take the drones, and the omni-tool. Just curious, but why?"

Leet lowered his arm which made the gauntlet disappear. "I can make anything with my power. Even whatever this thing is. I recognize Armsmasters specialty in it, as well as a few others. No idea how you pulled that off or how you even designed this thing or if you stole it from some other tinker. Don't care either. I was going to make one for myself but you set the file to self-delete and scrubbed all mention of it from every source in our network. I've tried to recreate it, but can't. So, I'll just keep this one."

Renegade nodded. "Fair enough. Alright, what's next? I assume you thought that part out since you know we're not going to let this go."

Uber answered. "Option one, you and your little friend are going to 'disappear'. This here," He said shifting the gun slightly. "it's one of Leets interesting projects. Came up with it one night when he couldn't sleep. We've never figured out how it works exactly, but we know what it does. Anything shot with it pixelates, then breaks apart until there is nothing left."

I swallowed. That sounded like a really geeked out and fucked up way to kill someone. More important to our situation though was the fact this was really outside of their usual methods. I mean, these guys barely rated as B listers. High C list sure, B list on a good day. They weren't killers, just idiots.

"Option two," Leet stated. "You two walk over to that container. We lock you in, and go. Inside you'll find a console that, if you beat the high score, will unlock the door. By that time we'll be long gone."

I heard the screech of metal as the door was opened. When I looked I could clearly see the 'console' they set up for us.

Pac-man. They were seriously going to lock us in a shipping container and make us play Pac-man to get out?

Yeah that wasn't going to happen. I wasn't getting locked in a fucking box by anyone again.

"Fuck you! You're not putting me in there. You're going to have to shoot me." I hissed through my clenched teeth calling their bluff.

Uber took careful aim at Renegade while Leet took aim at me. Uber's arm was steady.

I already had my plan for Leet ready. No matter if they were bluffing or not. He was going to regret trying to lock me in a box for the rest of life.

Both seconds of it.

"Last chance." Uber said.

Renegade didn't reply.

"Alright. Have any last words?"

"Yeah. Actually I do." Renegade stated. Even now his voice was still strangely calm. "_Chatika vas Paus_."


	13. Southside 5

Southside 2.5 Edited 1/4/15

I blinked. Leet blinked. Uber blinked. Everyone stood still, waiting.

Nothing happened.

"That," Renegade said wryly as he tilted his helmet gesturing to the camera drones, "would have been a lot more dramatic, had it actually worked."

Leet snorted. "And what was supposed to happen?"

"Well, the first idea was a homemade flash grenade. Ground aluminum, a few things from a local pharmacy. Pretty surprising really what you can do with a few odds and ends."

The omni-tool sprang to life on Leets arm. Everyone looked to him in surprise.

I could hear the smile in Renegade's voice as he continued. "But this idea was more fun. Tali always got a kick out of doing it to Garrus."

A few of henchmen jumped at the computerized feminine voice that started speaking. It's accent was strange. Had a weird perky, slightly echoing, rolling quality to it. I never heard anything like it. "Program: _Chatika vas Paus_; Upload complete. Deploying Combat Drone."

Suddenly some kind of hollow sphere thing appeared. Lines of blue and orange sort of defined itexcept for what I took to be the front. It looked like some kind of lens made up of the bluish colored lines.

It spun around so it 'faced' Uber spitting out what looked like a small bolt of lightning. I was stunned by the speed and accuracy as the arc impacted directly into the uncovered part of Uber's helmet.

And just like that, it was chaos.

Uber screamed in pain. I dove to my right as Leet pulled the trigger. It gave off some kind of loud noise like battleship guns do in space movies where sound isn't supposed to travel. I rolled with my dive commanding my bugs to fall in an insect torrent everywhere. Minions cursed, screamed, and panicked while Renegade laughed.

I heard whatever Leet shot at me sizzle overhead as I rolled away. As I got back to my feet I awkwardly extended the baton to its full length. I didn't spare the time to see if it did what they said it would do. However, Renegade's actions stopped me from doing what I planned to Leet.

"Go for the optics, Chatika!" Renegade commanded still laughing madly. "Go for the optics!" A short rush that ended in a flying tackle carried both him and Leet away from my peripheral vision.

I swallowed thickly fighting the urge to help him. We talked about this being a possibility and I had to trust he could handle his part. Just like he trusted me to handle my end. Besides, before I could have taken a step in that direction I had deal with my own current issue. I watched one of the bigger of Uber's henchmen rush me. He was covered in my bugs doing the best he could to ignore what they were doing to him. As he pulled back his huge arm to swing at me, I acted.

He was half blinded, hurting, and panicked which put all the advantages in my court as I was calm and waiting. My own swing was faster, far more accurate and very effective. I sidestepped putting everything I had into it. I didn't even feel bad as my strike hit him in the chest getting a sickening crunch from the impact. I mean, this guy was huge! Beside, these assholes were going to lock us in a fucking box with nothing but _Pac-Man_ to keep busy for fucks sake. They deserved this, and a whole lot more. I watched as he dropped like a brick letting out a weak wheeze. I turned my attention to the rest of the fight. He wasn't going anywhere.

Keep them on the defensive, Renegade told me yesterday. Keep them guessing, keep them too occupied to think straight until they submit. Renegade's drone, twittering little electric beeps that kinda sounded like a midi file, was still going strong. Floating around the room and randomly blasting anyone brave enough stand. Or try to. Screams trailed in its wake, and those unlucky ones that it missed had the pleasure of dealing with me.

My bugs kept the pressure on them biting and trying to crawl into the costumes of anyone who moved. Anything to keep them on the defense and not rushing Renegade or me. Using the abundant distractions I ran from one target to the next taking swings at anyone standing. For the first few moments of the fight the two of us kept everyone on the ground.

Renegade's fight with Leet was less a fight than a one sided beating. As I wove through the chaos my bugs and the drone created I saw Renegade take the gun from Leet. He spun the weapon expertly in his hand reversing his grip before using it to strike Leet across the head. A casual toss sent it flying far away from the fight. With Leet stunned Renegade didn't have any trouble removing the omni-tool from Leet's arm before equipping it to his own arm.

I turned away noticing Uber climbing to his knees from the last drone attack. He was still holding that ray gun of his so I swung downward with the baton. He screamed as it connected. I watched dispassionately as he rolled onto his back cradling his arm. He deserved so much more for his stupid box idea but I backed off. "We happy Renegade?"

His return chuckle answered me. "Very Matriarch. I think we've overstayed our welcome though."

"Then, I think we should go." I suggested backing toward the exit.

I made it to the door first with Renegade only a few steps behind me. The henchmen were swarmed but unmoving which was what I intended. Most had figured out that if they stayed still the bugs wouldn't bite. I'm sure everyone had the sensation of having a lot of bugs crawling on them at one point or another, but these bugs moved with a human intelligence. They worked together, moving with a purpose instead of mindlessly where instinct directed them. I could only imagine what the experience was like for anyone but me.

I left the building at a run. I doubted we would have much time to make our getaway and I wanted to be long gone before those idiots figured out all the bugs were non-poisonous. I was only half way to the bike when I felt a tug of serious disorientation that confused the hell out of me. For a moment the world seemed to spin. I stumbled almost falling on my face as I couldn't seem to grasp what was up or down. Everything tilted, skewed weirdly. I probably would have fallen if Renegade didn't catch me as I pitched forward.

"Easy now. What's wrong?" He asked concerned.

"Dizzy. Everything's spinning…"

He was quiet a moment as I reeled. "Can you sense what your bugs do?"

"What? Yeah, I can. Not everything, it's too much. Some though…"

"Shit, sorry." Renegade apologized. "Should have warned you but you didn't tell me you could sense things through your bugs. You only mentioned control. Can you let go? If you can that should put you right." He assured me.

I couldn't really, but I could filter those specific bugs out of my I did I immediately everything settled back to right. It helped that I still had some bugs out here in the open to center me. I shook my head. "What the hell did you do?"

"I threw a singularity in the room as I left." I looked to the warehouse. I could see green, red and blue lights crazily spinning about through one of the broken windows like some kind of creepy silent disco. "Basically a gravity well of sorts. Grabs anything not anchored down or too heavy. Flings it about for a while."

"You can create _black holes_?" I asked stunned.

"Singularities." He corrected. He gave me one more look making sure I was steady before he let go of me. "Pretty common use for dark energy by Asari Commandos and humans who undergo Adept Training. Great crowd control technique if you're looking for battlefield dominance, or just looking to buy time." he explained as he climbed onto the bike before kicking it to life.

"I thought we agreed to no life threatening attacks unless necessary?" I half accused as I glared at him.

"What? It's not lethal. Unstable yeah, but not lethal. They'll survive..."

Suddenly the warehouse shook from some kind of explosion. A body shattered the boards over the broken window facing us. It rolled a few times before coming to a stop in the parking area not far from us. It was Mr. Gerry. He didn't move.

I spun to look back at Renegade.

"...probably."

I opened my mouth to say something but the voices in the building grabbed my attention. Renegade revved the bike a couple of times looking at me silently. Waiting.

I climbed on. As we peeled out I turned to look back at Mr. Gerry. Despite the fact we were on opposite sides tonight, I really hoped he was alright.

"We really need to work on our communication skills." I said as we raced into the night. "When I said no killing, that also included not almost killing people too!"

"They'll be fine." Renegade assured me. Or, it would have been assuring if he wasn't chuckling to himself. "I know an asari bartender who used them on rowdy customers all the time. No fatalities unless you count that guy she beat to death with his own spine. Though in all fairness, that wasn't the singularity itself."

"His...own spine?"

"Only happened a few times." Renegade defended. "Made the customers nervous. She's half krogan. Has her father's temper, though from what I heard her mother wasn't exactly the 'little miss homemaker' type."

I rode quietly behind him, just staring at the back of his helmet. After an uncomfortable moment he cleared his throat before he continued. "That was one of those things that's supposed to be wrong, isn't it?"

"Entirely." I answered dryly as I looked back to make sure they weren't following us.

"Sorry." He muttered half halfheartedly.

I sighed. Now _I_ felt bad. I changed topics tabling this for the moment. We'd deal with this later. "You knew it was a trap, didn't you?"

"Pretty sure it would turn out that way." He confirmed.

"Then why go through all that shit? Why didn't we just take them out from the start?"

"Wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. The camera drones would have worked just like I explained had they did keep up their end of things." Renegade explained as we turned the corner taking one of the main roads out of the docks. It was still going to take a while before we were 'in the clear' but at least we were well on our way.

"And the drone? How the hell did you do that?"

My question made him laugh. "I had the upload buried in the camera drone's operational codex. Like Tali, I set it to act like an extranet buoy so it would bypass the omni-tool's firewalls. I figured if Garrus couldn't figure out that exploit, Leet wouldn't. Tali did that to Garrus whenever he pissed her off. Which, seemed to be fairly often. She'd download porn mostly into his omni-tool, though she messed with his load outs a few times too."

"_Porn_?" I couldn't help but ask. I felt my cheeks heating up, but I had to admit that did sound funny.

"Oh yeah, by the terabytes. Some of the things I heard him complaining about during our shuttle drops, scary stuff." He finished with a disturbing chuckle as he turned slightly to me.

I turned forward giving a half chuckle before I gasped. It was stupid but I pointed forward and screamed, "Look out!"

Were it was clear a moment ago, it wasn't now. Renegade snapped his head forward just in time to see what I did.

"Whoa!"

My arm grasped his side in a white knuckle death grip. The bike jerked slightly in his surprise but he didn't lose control. Instead, Renegade jerked his left arm to the side sending the figure that was practically on top of us flying into the building we were passing. It happened so quick I didn't even see what happened to them but I heard the sounds of breaking glass. It wasn't hard to figure it out.

"Was that a fucking clown with a sledgehammer?" He asked me a moment later as we barreled down the road.

"...yeah." My heart was still beating ridiculously fast from the near miss. I looked back as we turned another corner. The only evidence that it wasn't some kind of hallucination was the broken window I saw illuminated by the sole working street light. That and the sledgehammer that bounced along the road.

"What the fuck is wrong with this planet that it's perfectly reasonable for there to be a clown, with a sledgehammer, walking about in the pitch dark of the night taking swings at people?"

I was still looking backward as I answered. "You get used to it. Circus isn't even the weirdest cape in the city."

"Seriously? What the fuck is next? A Goddamn _mime_?"

"What's wrong with mimes?" I asked.

Thanks to the ear pieces we were using I heard Renegade grumbling under his breath about creepy clowns and mimes. Something about how fighting Reapers was more civilized.

"What? I like mimes…" I muttered.

Circus wasn't that hard to identify as far as capes go. She was the only one in the city who used the clown theme. I didn't know much about her. Just some stuff from the Wiki. I knew she was a solo villain. Her powers had something to do with storing things and being able to pull them out of the air. Things like a sledgehammer. She was actually pretty well known for it as she used it to beat the crap out of a lot of capes in the last few months she'd been active.

As I was thinking I turned back again. This time I noticed pursuit. Looks like Uber and Leet decided this wasn't over yet. "Company!"

Renegade turned briefly to look at little mirror on the handlebars. "Huh. Didn't think they had it in them."

Renegade turned to the right taking one of the side alleys between two warehouses. I held on tightly chancing a look behind us. There was no mistaking the half dozen bikes for what they were. They illuminated everything around them as they sped closer. "What the fuck? Tron bikes? Really? Can this get any worse?"

My comment made Renegade laugh again. "You've obviously never been on a Normandy Ground Team Op."

I frowned as I looked at the back of his helmet. We really needed to work on his idea of humor. Deciding not to comment on it for now, I glanced back. "They're gaining!" I warned.

"Are you going to let me kill them now?"

"No!" He sounded way too hopeful about escalating this. That or he was yanking my chain. Both were possible but we had other issues at the moment. "I don't suppose you put anything on the bike that can help us here? Something that would slow them down? Make us go faster?"

"Not even a fare meter!" He laughed.

"A _what_?"

Renegade was still laughing as he cut down a different alley. I had no idea what he was doing it, but we were cutting these corners far faster than I think we should be getting away with. "Sorry, just remembering something from a while back."

As I looked around I noticed we were just about out of the docks. Renegades moves didn't seem to faze our pursuers. "Can we lose them?"

"Doubtful unless you want me to turn around? Didn't you say the docks were full of villains? We can piss off a bunch in the hopes they'll help us with our problem. Someone is bound to get upset about the noise. Maybe the clown found a mime with a bullshit power that'll be willing to lend a hand."

I ignored his barbed comment. There was nothing wrong with mimes. Circus, I was sure, wouldn't target them as much as she would us if we went back. She was known for having a temper when messed with. "Yeah… that's a bad idea. Villains are not known for being the 'Good Samaritan' types."

"Well, then maybe we should change the venue. If the villains won't help us, maybe the heroes will."

"What exactly do you have in mind?" I asked worriedly.

"How about we take this party downtown?" Renegade replied.


	14. Southside 6

**Southside 2.6**

The engine of the bike screamed into the night as we barreled down the road at speeds that should have terrified me. Probably would have if we weren't being chased by several neon glowing bikes being driven by villains looking for payback. As we rocketed down the street I was for once thankful for Renegade's driving habits. Granted, they could only be described as insane, but it was a kind of insanity we needed at the moment.

I smiled behind my mask. Okay, maybe there was something seriously wrong with me, but this was actually getting fun.

"Okay, so your plan is to drive through town hoping the heroes step in. You do realize they're going to try to stop us too right?"

"I'm betting on it." Renegade said confidently.

I kept my grip tight on Renegades sides as he swerved from side to side to avoid one bit of road debris after another. Old trashcans, the bigger of the pot holes, or the occasional broken down car. The red bike behind us mirrored our path. I could see the others fall back a bit not nearly confident enough handling the terrain. They didn't fall back enough for my comfort but every little bit helped.

"I seriously hope your plan doesn't involve playing the misunderstood victim being chased by bad guys. I mean, we rode here in costume! Going back into town with Uber and Leet chasing us isn't going to help our case. If anything, it's likely to get someone seriously hurt. People like civilians. I got a better idea."

"Outstanding!" He said with a laugh. "I love ideas!"

As Renegade cut down a side street I knew for sure he was using his power somehow. As I followed his lead and leaned with him I felt a gentle pressure on my whole body. The turn was the sharpest yet with both of us leaning far enough to practically be lying down. So weird, it felt heavier at my feet than it did at my shoulders. That, and once I started concentrating on it I could feel it shift about in perfect sequence to how we were positioned on the bike or how it moved. Compared to the drive up to Captains Hill, I didn't feel half the uneasiness.

As Renegade brought us upright I turned backward. The red tron bike cut the same corner we did a moment ago. It must have been Uber. I doubted a motocross expert could have cut that corner any better.

"Damn, he's good. He handles that thing like Joker did the Normandy. That's not a good thing for us; he's way better a pilot than I am." Renegade observed.

The next in line drove a green one. Whoever it was wasn't anywhere near as good as Uber as he plowed into the building at the corner. The bike exploded in a flash of color and a sickening crash. I winced at the scene. I doubted he was walking away from that one. I really hoped Uber and Leet took care of their people. For that guys sake. The other four got around the corner without crashing, though not as well as Uber. At least they didn't crash, though that would have made our escape a lot easier. "According to the Wiki that's Uber's power . He can master anything with it. Shooting, driving, computers, anything."

"That's fucking versatile. Damn it. You know; chases I normally get into usually end up with burning vehicles and dead bodies. Since that's off the table, I would love to hear your idea on how to resolve this situation."

I figured the tron bikes were about a block behind us. As we roared down the narrow street I reached out with my power getting a feel for the area. "How about one of those singularity things? Like at the warehouse?"

There were all kinds of things in the street that it could pick up. At the speeds we were traveling at, even a soda can could throw them off, or better yet, make them stop and change routes to catch us.

"Not without risking a blowout." Renegade answered. I frowned at the slight strain in his voice as he mentioned it.

_That doesn't sound good._ "Blowout?"

I tugged on the right side of his armored body. Taking my direction we cut down that street. Jessup and Campbell, I read from the skewed road sign as it flew past us. No telling how long we were going to keep this up without someone stepping in but I only needed a bit more time for what I had planned. We weren't far now.

"It's kind of like a grand mal seizure, but not nearly as much fun." He explained to my discomfort as we straightened up. "Happens sometimes to biotics who overexert themselves using their abilities. We can only create and maintain so many fields at one time. Depends on how complicated they are and our energy levels. It's taking about all I have to maintain the field around us. You have any idea how hard it is to micromanage a biotic inertial dampening field while also controlling our gravity? How do you think we're making these corners? Sure as hell isn't by any skill of mine. I'm cheating!"

I turned back for a moment. Nope, that wasn't good, but it was telling. I knew he was doing something but this implied the clock was ticking quicker than I thought. I watched Uber gain on us for a moment. It was faster than I was comfortable with. I wouldn't be ready by the time he got close enough to do whatever it was he had planned. The last thing I wanted was to end up like that green tron bike guy. The others were gaining too but not nearly as quickly. Our problem, I knew, was Uber. I tugged on Renegade's left side after a few streets. As we cut the corner I turned forward.

"Blowouts bad. Gotcha. Uber's gaining though, and we need more time to get to where I'm directing you." I turned back to check on how close Uber was. I tightened my grip on Renegade. Looking backward like this was really starting to disorient me. Still, I knew I could make this work. It was just going to be a lot harder without Renegades abilities.

His next comment derailed my thoughts as well as gave me an idea. "Shoot him!"

"You're not going to be happy until we shoot _someone_ tonight, are you?" I asked half frustrated, half amused even as I pulled the pistol from my leg sheath.

"Hey, no one likes getting shot at! If that doesn't spook him, he's a lot more seasoned than I gave him credit for!" Renegade laughed. I felt the field around us shift slightly. Whatever he was doing felt like it glued me to his back and the seat enough to turn backward without feeling like I was going fall. I aimed the pistol but not at Uber directly. I aimed for the front tire. If you could call a glowing, spinning disk of red light a tire.

When I pulled the trigger the kick wasn't what I was expecting but still jarring. Between Renegades moves, my inexperience, and Ubers evasion as he realized what I was going to do, my shot went wide sparking off an unlit light pole.

"You _have _fired a gun before, haven't you?" He asked slightly mockingly as he swerved to avoid something.

I glared at the back of his helmet as I directed the next turn we should take. "No!"

"Wait, seriously?" Renegade asked surprised as we leaned into the next turn.

The buildings in this area were pretty spread out. Mostly just grid like roadways, lots of fences, and old parking lots. It might have been better to keep to tighter confines but this was where we needed to be for my plan. Now, we just needed to get to the factory I had in mind. Thank god for dad and his ramblings about things that went on at work.

I turned and aimed the pistol again. Renegade opened up the throttle. "Just drive straight for that old factory ahead!" I shouted at him as I pulled the trigger again.

I felt him chuckling at me through my left arm that was still wrapped around him. In a way, it was assuring he wasn't as panicked as I felt. Hopefully, this worked and my idea didn't get us killed.

My next three shots didn't do much better. Uber though jerked side to side avoiding them anyways. He didn't know I was a bad shot which still gave me the effect I was looking for. My next shots at least started sparking off the road near him but I knew there was no way I was going to actually pull off a hit like I wanted. Still, the effect was the same. He wasn't gaining as much as he was a moment ago.

I looked down the sight trying to make the next shot count before I pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. I debated throwing it at him but doubted that would do much more than what shooting at him did. Instead, I holstered the gun back in its sheath. Thankfully, the factory came into my range, which meant we were finally close enough for what I had in mind.

As my range fell over the factory I bought every insect in there to the door I needed. Dad mentioned a few weeks ago that he found out this place was put on the condemned list because of an infestation. He was upset because at one time, the old paper mill was one of the premier suppliers of high grade paper products on the eastern seaboard. He had a bit of a soft spot for it since it was one of the last factories to close down, which meant it was one of the last suppliers of jobs for his workers. I remember last year when it finally closed down, dad actually cried. Now all there was for his people was fixing up stuff after cape fights.

Tonight though, this factory was going to save us. "Straight forward, the gate's open. Head for loading bays on the right side. Dad mentioned vandals ripped open one of the doors a while back and I know it's open now. Shoot through it and we'll leave by one of the bays on the far side. They sit high up so we'll have a drop once we go through one of them. The ground floor has lots of equipment still around so be careful. Still, we should be able to get through it."

"You've been here before I take it?"

"No, but I have the bugs inside set in a way that I know the layout. Strait in, thirty feet, turn right. Fifty feet, turn left. There's an open bay straight ahead from there. Nothing on the outside of it so we should have plenty of room to jump out if you can keep us from crashing."

"That's good intel. What of our fan club?"

"They won't be following us much longer."

"Oorah!"

The bike shot through the gate with Uber only a few car lengths behind us. Renegade turned to the right, then left as he went around the building. It didn't take long to find the bay dad mentioned. The bike screamed louder than before as Renegade dropped several gears. I felt the bike jerk as it was forced to slow just as we passed the door. I held tightly to Renegade. This was all on him now.

I tried to lean with him as the bike slid. It felt like my stomach didn't so much as clench, as simply shriveled to the size of a pea before crawling into my throat. I held Renegade in a death grip as we more slid than turned the first corner, narrowly avoiding impacting the hulking industrial machine bolted to the floor. I didn't even spare my concentration to look backward as we shot down the path ahead but I knew when Uber entered the building thanks to my bugs.

Just as he did, they attacked. Thousands of insects mobbed him and everyone else who entered the building. As we made the second turn I heard Uber scream in panic as he lost control. I didn't see what happened but I saw a flash of red light that I assumed was Uber wrecking. It was followed by a flash of blue, and several greens.

As we shot out of the bay on the far side I heard more screams and curses. Our jump seemed almost tame compared to the other moves Renegade made tonight. We sailed out of the bay door before we landed in a shower of sparks as the undercarriage of the bike scraped the ground. It was jarring and I honestly think that if we didn't have Renegades power protecting us, we would have ate it right there. Thankfully we didn't. His next turn wasn't nearly as sharp as his others and a bit sloppy but he managed to keep us from wrecking ourselves. I could feel our pursuers were still inside the building but they weren't moving fast anymore. I let my bugs tear into them as we made our getaway from the old factory. I didn't let up until I lost my connection to them as we passed the limits of my range.

I couldn't help it, I laughed. We did it. We got away clean and trashed Uber and Leet. I looked upward seeing one of their flying cameras trying to follow us as best as it could with its little humming bird wings. Still laughing, I flipped it off.

Renegade's turned slightly to see what I was pointing at. Noticing the camera he laughed as well. I expected him to say something but he didn't. Instead he pulled his own pistol and fired once. The camera fell trailing sparks from the sky.

"Show off!" I teased him.

I felt his chuckle through my grip on him. "I think your way of doing things is growing on me. This was a lot more fun than I thought it would be."

The rest of the ride was uneventful. I guess Uber and Leet had enough since we didn't see them again as we left the docks. Renegade took us through a winding route through side streets as we made our way. The drive seemed to pass in a flash compared to how long it took us before. At this time of the night there was little traffic which was a blessing. I know I was relieved when we turned into the dead end alley we met in earlier.

I climbed off first, stumbling slightly as he turned off the headlight. I reached out to my bugs getting a sense of the alley before I spoke. "It's clear."

"Such a handy power. Makes me wish we could have recruited a Collector back in the day." I turned to Sebastian as he took off his helmet. He looked drawn and very pale.

When he spit out a glob of blood I was worried. "Hey, you alright? What's wrong?"

"Nothing I didn't expect. Hemorrhaged something. I'll be fine after a big meal and some rest." He answered easily seemingly unconcerned.

"You don't look alright." I noted still worried.

Sebastian smiled at me. His eyes looked a little glassy. "Just a side effect of overusing my biotics. It's happened before. Dark energy manipulation, especially what I was doing for us earlier, isn't easy. Takes a toll on your body when you abuse it for long stretches like that. I'm actually surprised I was able to keep it going as long as I did without an implant."

I shook my head and sighed. "If I'd known you were hurting yourself we would have done something different." I stated as I moved to the back of the ally. He didn't act like he was hurting, which bothered me a lot. There was no telling how high his pain tolerance was if he ruptured something internally and just shrugged it off. I would have to keep my eye on that in the future. This kind of thing wasn't worth it if he had to hurt himself for us to succeed. Maybe we could plan around it? I found the pack I hid earlier exactly where it was supposed to be. As I picked it up I turned to make my way back to Sebastian. It bore thinking about. Maybe other capes had that problem too? I'd research it later.

"It's fine. Like I said, once I get something to eat and rest, I'll be as good as new." He turned his back to me facing the entrance to the ally as he started taking off his costume.

I checked the area again. Nothing changed so I turned my back to him removing my mask so I could get the rest of my custom off and change. "My power works a lot differently. The only time it hurts me is when I try and see or hear through my bugs. I wish you would have said something earlier."

I heard the sound of several heavy things hitting the ground behind me as I pulled off the top part of my costume. "Well, we'll learn as we work together. Takes a few missions before we can play off each other's talents with ease. I went through this every time I recruited someone new to my squad. Everyone's different. Even two people with biotics are different because each will use them in their own unique way. Experience and time will fix all that, Matriarch."

I nodded to what he was saying as the cool air fell over my exposed skin except where my sports bra clung to me. I reached into the pack at my feet pulling on my sweater before I started taking off my leggings. "I'm still not sold on that for my cape name. Even if it's kinda late now."

"Really? I thought it fit pretty well. Asari Matriarchs are some of the most feared and respected people in the Galaxy. Trust me, I knew several and every Matriarch I met was someone not to be messed with. Even the ones I had to fight." I heard the sound of a zipper and cloth moving. I gulped slightly refusing to acknowledge the blush on my face. This wasn't as embarrassing as it was earlier but it still felt weird to be changing like this.

Instead of commenting on that I kept to the prior topic. "Well, it just doesn't fit me is all. One, I'm not an Asari. Two, no one even knows what an Asari _is_ except for you. What most people are going to take from the name implies I'm some kind of ruler or something. I've not a ruler of any kind. We don't hold territory, we don't have followers, you know? Just doesn't seem to fit me."

I finished pulling off the lower half of my costume leaving me in just my boxer shorts from the waist down. I quickly pulled out my jeans and stuffed my costume and the harness into my pack as I finished dressing. Sebastian must have already finished as I didn't hear anything except his voice behind me.

"I don't know about that. No, we don't have any troops of our own, nor do we hold territory like the other gangs in the city. But, you rule absolutely over your bugs. You're like a Rachni Queen dealing with her drones that way. That's formidable. I hated fighting the Rachni almost as much as Tali did. Just for different reasons. She was afraid of spiders, which I never understood since she lived her whole life in an environmental suit. I mean, okay, yeah, Rachni drones _could_ bite through it, but seriously, how many other spiders could? I always wondered about that but she wouldn't talk about it. Made me wonder what kind of spiders were on the flotilla."

"Anyways, point is, fighting Rachni wasn't a lot of fun. People here aren't going to like fighting you any better. I'll grant you that we're new faces for now, but Matriarch is a name that you can grow into. Mark my words, by this time next year, the name will fit."

"If you say so." I mumbled still not convinced. I buttoned my jeans and finished zipping them up before I slipped my bare feet into my shoes.

"I do. Doesn't matter if you go by Hebert, Taylor, Matriarch, or Bug Girl. It's not the name, it's the events behind the name that people learn to respect, fear, or admire. Our actions, successes or failures will add weight to our names in time."

Finished dressing I put on my glasses as I turned around to see Sebastian facing away with his arms behind his back. His eyes looked to the mouth of the alley we were hiding in keeping watch. "All done."

He turned slightly smiling wanly. He really looked exhausted. "Are you sure you're alright?"

He nodded easily. "I'm fine, don't worry so much. It's getting really late. I was wondering if you wanted to crash at my place or would you rather I took you to yours? Just wondering as mine is closer and the buses stopped running several hours ago."

"Oh, um…"_ Stupid blush…._ I thought as I felt my cheeks heat up. "Probably take me home. Pretty sure dad would freak if I didn't make it home at some point tonight. I'm probably in for it as it is."

"Alright." He didn't argue as he threw his leg over the bike to kick it to life. I pulled on my backpack and removed my glasses. Once I had Sebastian's spare helmet on I replaced them before I climbed on back letting him back the bike out of the alley.

"Don't suppose there's anything I can do to help with the blow back? My fault you're out so late."

"Not really…" I muttered. "Dad… has his own thoughts on what I've been getting up to. You're not exactly the person to alleviate it. Not sure he would believe it anyways."

"Alright, if you're sure."

"Yeah, it's complicated." I muttered not really wanting to talk about it.

"I understand. We all have ghosts we'd rather not disturb. I'll not pry."

"Thanks."

_So awkward_, I thought. And the night had gone so well too. It was kind of depressing to have it end like this after everything that happened. I sighed. _Maybe I should stay at Sebastian's..._

I shook my head. That was a bad idea. Not that I didn't trust Sebastian to be a gentleman, or that I thought he had ulterior motives for the invite, but dad really would freak. Better to just face the music, sort of, and deal with it now. The drive through town passed as I prepared myself for getting caught. Judging by how he's been acting lately I didn't think I would be able to get away with sneaking back in. I bet he was sitting at the kitchen table, just waiting. Yeah, Sebastian's place was looking better and better as the miles ticked down and we got closer to my house.

I stuck with the plan though and we arrived. I debated having him drop me off a block down the road but as my house fell in my range I knew dad was up. Up and pacing in the living room.

"Fuck." I muttered.

Sebastian turned slightly to me but with his helmet on I couldn't read his expression. "Dad's awake and waiting for me."

He didn't say anything as he turned forward. It didn't take long for him to park the bike in my driveway.

Let it be known, motorcycles do not make the stealthiest of vehicles. Dad was at the back door before Sebastian could even finish parking. Through the dark visor of the helmet I could see the relief in his face that I was home and apparently fine.

And disappointment. I hunched a bit lower in my seat feeling guilty. I climbed off the back of the bike taking off the helmet.

As I put my glasses back on and secured the helmet to the seat I heard his disappointment as he spoke. "Taylor…"

"Sorry Mr. Hebert. It was my fault."

I turned to Sebastian. His helmet was off, hanging from his hand as he addressed my dad. His eyes were locked on my dad's. I wouldn't call them exactly challenging, but it wasn't the look a normal teen would give to the parent of one of his friends. Or girlfriend as far as my dad was concerned.

Dad didn't see the same thing I did, or didn't care. "Sebastian I take it? Taylor's mentioned you."

"Dad." Disappointment at me was one thing, but directing it at Sebastian wasn't going to fly.

"Shepard." Sebastian was completely unfazed by my father's tone. Considering some of the things I knew of him, that really shouldn't have surprised me. "I prefer Shepard."

"You prefer to go by your last name?" Dad asked.

Sebastian nodded. "Never was very fond of my first name, sir."

I butted in before dad did something to escalate this. "I'll see you later, Sebastian."

He nodded still keeping his eyes on my dad. "Alright. I'll be at _work_ for the next few days, but I should be easily reached."

"A bit young to be working regularly. What do you do exactly Mr. Shepard?"

I wanted to groan at the smirk that appeared on his face. "Salvage. That's what led us to be so late. Taylor was helping me with one of my salvage runs. Lost track of time."

I decided to put a stop to this when I saw my dad's frown. This was getting all kinds of out of hand. "My choice, Dad."

Both of them turned to me. Dad with a pained expression and Sebastian with a slightly confused one. I grimaced knowing how he was going to take this but I didn't see any other way to defuse the situation. "My choice."

"Taylor, I understand what you're saying but…"

I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. "Do you really want to have this conversation, Dad? _Now_?"

I winced at the defeated expression on his face as he seemed to deflate. "No, you're right. I'm sorry. Just… we _will_ talk about this though?"

I nodded curtly. I didn't want too, _never_ would be a good time for that conversation, but I was going to have to run with something if I wanted to keep going out in costume with Sebastian. This wasn't ideal, but I'd figure out something.

Dad nodded avoiding looking at Sebastian as he turned back into the house.

"Okay, I don't think I completely understand what that was about."

I turned from the door to Sebastian. The knowing smile on his face told me all I needed to know. I tagged dad with one of the flies in the house so I could follow his movements. He moved to the living room and took a seat on the couch. "No, I think you understand _exactly_ what that was about." I muttered as I took off my back pack. Keeping part of my mind on my connection to the fly on dad, as well as every other person in my range, just to make sure no one else was watching as I opened the pack.

"I think it would be better if there was no misunderstanding." Sebastian stated.

I felt my blush increase. "I hate you."

No one was watching so I took out the weapons Sebastian gave me earlier and put them in the saddle bag on the bike. Getting caught with my costume was one thing, but I'd never be able to explain what I was doing with a gun, much less where I got it from. Should have done that back in the alley. I heard Sebastian chuckle before he replied. "Well, misunderstandings can be tragic. I'm not fond of tragedies."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" I asked as I covered the weapons up with part of Sebastian's costume and closed the bag.

"Nope." He replied jovially.

I sighed as I rose to my feet. By now I imagine my blush covered my whole face. I took a deep breath. "Dad thinks...we're… sort of in a relationship."

"Ah-huh. I'm thinking that look I got was a bit more than just a father unhappy at a potential suitor."

I looked to the sky to avoid looking at Sebastian. "This is embarrassing, can we please just drop it?"

I didn't have to look to see the smile on his face. I could hear it in his voice. "Come on, how bad can it be?"

"I hate you so much right now."

"I'm just saying, if you've given me a cover and I don't know the details I'll make a mistake that will get us found out." He reasoned.

For just a moment I considered calling my spiders to me. I bet a few black widows would wipe that smug grin off his face. I closed my eyes letting that thought go as my embarrassment grew. "It's just what he thinks, Sebastian. I didn't encourage it."

"Encourage...what?"

"He thinks were having _sex_! There, happy?" I snapped at him.

If anything his grin grew. "Obviously not as happy as my cover identity is." I closed my eyes with a groan covering my face with my hands while he laughed at me.

I heard movement and stiffened as I felt him hug me. He was still chuckling which didn't endear him to me very much at this moment. "Sorry, couldn't resist. You're just so easy to tease."

"I'm going to fucking hurt you for this. Just...can we drop this now?" I asked in a slight whine. "It's bad enough I have to deal with Dad thinking like that, I don't need you pushing my buttons…"

"Alright. No more teasing, I promise."

"Thank you."

I leaned away looking upward. Sebastian's face was very close and his eyes bore into mine. I blinked several times as my blush increased. I sensed my dad getting up from the couch. Probably wondering what was taking me so long. He walked into the kitchen where he stopped by the sink. The window there would give him a perfect view of us. "Um… My dad's watching us..."

Sebastian's face lowered to mine. I felt my hands become fists clutching his shirt as his lips just passed mine resting along my cheek.

"Just selling your cover." My breath hitched as my eyes widened.

He leaned away after a moment. That stupid smug roguish grin on his face that made me want to smack him as much as I wished he really did kiss me.

"Typically," Sebastian half whispered to me. "...after a mission we debrief. Go over things that went right, or went wrong. Let me know when you're free and we'll do that as well as go over some other things. Alright?"

"...Okay."

My heart beat fast in my chest as he climbed back on the bike. I stood there flustered as he backed up, then left with a jaunty wave. I shook myself out of my stupor turning back to the house. The mixed signals I kept getting from him were driving me crazy. Maybe I should do something about that? He didn't seem upset over my dad's misunderstanding, but he wasn't exactly encouraging me either.

Relationships were so confusing. Was I a friend? Was he interested? Were we just teammates?

Confusing or not, I had to admit, this sure beat what my life was like before I met him. Overall, not a bad night at all, I thought as I opened the door with silly grin on my face.


	15. Camera One 1

***Authors Note: Yeah, not a big fan of doing these at the beginning of a chapter, but thought I would state that reviews are appreciated. This story, as it stands at this post, is currently 221k words and just about 470 pages. I'm posting as I review content and put in corrections. Content should appear fairly quickly as I do so. That said, thoughts about the story, anything you liked or that caught your eye, always appreciated as it helps me as a writer to know what worked, and what didn't.

That said, on with the story...

**Camera One 3.1**

The night had claimed the city skyline hours ago. Not a lot of cloud cover but the lights of the city still made it hard to see the stars above us. As we planned earlier, Sebastian had picked me up just before dusk. The rooftop we were using gave us an interesting view over the area which made it a nice place to have dinner, even if it was on the outskirts of the docks.

I stabbed my fork into the last of the flank steak at the bottom of the small takeout box. It was cunningly hidden below the last of the peppers. Not cunningly enough, I thought stabbing both.

"So, you didn't like it?" I asked before I took the bite. I wouldn't go so far as to call our conversation awkward, but a bit uncomfortable wouldn't be too far out there. However, it was hard to get upset over it thanks to the excellent take out from Niramanju that Sebastian got for us tonight. They made the best, well everything, in the city.

"Well, not really, to be honest. It was okay." Sebastian replied uncomfortably. An expression I only ever seemed to see on him when he was trying to be 'normal', as he put it. In the last week I think I've seen that expression on his face more than any other. A part of me still thought it was funny as hell that he was looking to me, of all people, to find out what normal was. Like I was any kind of role model in that regard.

I noticed him look up at me from his own food. "It's just…"

"It's alright." I muttered as I switched out the empty box for one that had fried rice.

"No, it's not. You put a lot of effort into that. Still can't figure out how you got your dad to be okay with me coming over, much less for him to be okay with me being there while he wasn't. I was pretty sure he hated me."

"It really wasn't that difficult, and he doesn't hate you." I said. Not that either of us actually believed that or anything. I was still half of the opinion he might get some of the dock workers he knew to 'visit' Sebastian somewhere. Probably would if he knew where to find him on any given day. Despite my dad's self-nerdy assessment, he had quite the temper when he felt strongly about something. I mean, you didn't get to be a Union Department Head, or earn the respect of people like dock workers by not knowing a few things. I hope he didn't try anything. For the whoever he got involved sake. Sebastian wasn't exactly the 'wound them and leave them' type. Mr. Gerry was proof enough for that, though I heard he'd make a full recovery in time. I shook my head casting those thoughts to the side as I returned to the conversation. "Maybe you're just used to better?"

"Not exactly. It, well, it just didn't seem to be my thing I guess. It couldn't have been that enjoyable for you."

"Well," I started as I stirred the rice. "I heard it's not exactly for everyone. I liked it."

He must have heard something in my voice as he responded. "Sorry for ruining it for you."

"You didn't ruin anything." I tried to assure him. "It's not like you're the only person ever to not like it."

I saw him nod but he waited until he finished chewing to talk. "I just don't see the appeal. The way you talked about it, I was under the impression it would have been better than it was. Not that I have a lot of experience with that sort of thing. For years it's been one fight after another. The Alliance always had an operation for a guy with my talents. Then I got spaced and ended up as a slab of meat on a science table. More war after I was healed. I've sort of been too preoccupied to experiment with things like that."

I winced. Sebastian still hasn't told me a lot about the details in his past but over the last week he mentioned a few things. Usually like that, just thrown out there like it didn't mean anything to him. It was seriously unnerving how his callousness about most people even applied to himself.

Still, I didn't push. I'll let him tell me in his own time. Instead I shrugged to his comment before swallowing my own mouthful. "Well, I appreciate you sitting through it anyways."

He nodded as he cleared a few empty boxes off our makeshift table before adding a few full ones from the takeout bag. I perked up. "It's entirely possible that musicals are just not my thing. The only other one I've seen was 'Fleet and Flotilla', which Tali made me watch. There were aspects I liked, but overall not so much. Quarian singing is pretty good, but let me tell you something, Turian vocal cords were not designed for it. Great battle scenes though."

"I'll have to take your word for it." I said.

As I started checking to see what was in the new boxes, Sebastian changed topics on me. "So, given any thought about what I said yesterday?"

I looked up from the box of lo mien I opened. "Some. I'm still not sure I'm cool with it though."

Sebastian opened one of the boxes I hadn't checked yet. He stabbed the contents before carefully asking, "Are you still upset over the posts on Parahumans Online?"

"Yeah." I sighed before I mumbled trying not to eye the box he had. "Mongolian Beef would help though."

A quick look showed him watching me. His amusement at my antics evident in his eyes. It worked though as after a moment he passed me the box. I quickly started in on it before he changed his mind. So good.

"You shouldn't let what people think dictate your actions. They're going to believe whatever they want to believe. More often than not even in the face of overwhelming evidence. That's just the nature of organics. Besides, we came out looking good for the most part."

I looked him in the eyes as I carefully replied. "They think we're super villains. I fail to see how that is in any way a 'good' thing."

"We won, they lost. I'm not seeing a bad side here."

I sighed. "Now you're just doing that to aggravate me." His smile didn't help change my opinion on this any. "I wanted to be a cape so I could help people. Taking a negative, like how I got my powers, and turning it into a positive. Being labeled a villain sort of defeats that point."

Sebastian's tone shifted enough for me to catch it. "You mentioned something like that before but you never specified. I'll admit I'm curious. I mean, I was born a biotic. For all the other biotics, aside from the asari, they usually manifested biotic talents after eezo exposure, so I'm guessing there's something like that here too?"

"Sort of…" I mumbled.

"You don't have to explain if it's really personal."

I sat quietly thinking. I didn't really want to talk about it but also sort of wanted too. I battled back and forth a bit in my head before I caved. He'd been sharing a lot of personal stuff with me so I guess it was only fair. "I don't know a lot about how most people get their powers. Just some stuff I've read online. Usual theme is something really bad happens that triggers them. Makes them work."

Sebastian didn't reply except to nod. "For me, it was something that happened at school. Bad enough I ended up in a mental hospital for a week…"

I was interrupted by a chiming noise. On the back of Sebastian's right hand an orange light was flashing. "Damn. Didn't realize it was that time already. We can do this another night…"

"No." I stopped him. "No, it's fine."

In a way it as a relief. Thinking, much less talking about that stuff put me in the wrong headspace anyways. Sebastian nodded but I noted the look of concern on his face before he put on his helmet. As he was doing that I took off my glasses making sure my earpiece was in place before putting on my own mask.

From the duffel sitting next to our makeshift table I took out a trash bag and started cleaning up. It didn't take long to gather up our drinks or the leftover food and get it put away. As I finished Renegade was just about done shutting down the tinker blind he made.

From inside the blind it didn't look like it was doing anything. However, it rendered everything inside it invisible. Well, 'cloaked' was the term he used. Along with about fifteen minutes of explanations on how it worked and what it worked on. Still, it sounded like invisibility to me.

As I watched him I couldn't help be impressed. And a bit envious. Tinkers where such bullshit. Renegade, no matter what he called his knowledge, did not change my opinion on that despite the fact he said he could teach me if I wanted to learn how to be an engineer like was. The device he set up earlier, and which he was kneeling next to now, sat not far from us. It looked like a two foot long cylinder attached to a tripod standing about four foot tall. I watched he typed something on his omni-tool. After a moment the thing made a few computer noises before a burst of static flickered around us. It started compacting down until it was only about a foot long.

Once it was done compacting, which I still got a kick out of watching, he placed it at the small of his back where it latched on somehow. I didn't inquire. Pretty sure I wouldn't understand it anyways.

"Don't forget your armor." He reminded me as he set his about equipping his.

I nodded holding my arm out in front of me like he did. I took me a moment to get my hand set right before my own omni-tool sprang to life.

_Tinkers might be bullshit, but friendly tinkers rocked_, I thought with a smile on my face.

The bracer he made for me was lighter than I would have thought considering what it could do. It encompassed my forearm from just before my wrist ending just before my elbow. He did something to my gloves that allowed me to use the holographic interface and between those two things I had access to my very own bit of tinker tech. It didn't do everything his did, which he explained as due more to the fact that would take a while to build, but it did a lot of stuff. Had a flashlight, acted as a hub for our communications, had two 'loadouts', and was connected to his own personal computer network.

As I looked at the still unfamiliar display trying to remember the sequence he showed me, I also took note of how the bracer looked. It was gun metal black. The casing looked like it was crawling in various bugs which blended with my costume really well. An extra detail that still made me smile. It wasn't eye catching enough that I think our opponents will immediately figure out what it was, but enough so that I wouldn't be able to use it outside of our cape stuff. Still, hella badass. After a few moments I managed to get it right and the holographic representation of the tech armor field sprang to life around me. Another awesome addition to my costume.

The armor was an electric teal with a dark orange/gold edge. Shoulder guards, a chest plate as well as forearm and thigh plates materialized over me, in contrast to the blue/purple versions over him. Aside from the grey chilton armor panels I made into my armor, it was pretty featureless black. The holographic overlay set a few inches away from my body giving me a bulkier look which I liked a lot. The shoulder guards were rounded with the various panels strait over those sections.

The chest piece accentuated a femininity I didn't have. When I questioned it he shrugged it off saying it never occurred to him to alter the standard program that he learned. It made me wonder what the prerequisite for women who joined the Alliance was since my armor gave the impression I was at least two cup sizes bigger than I actually possessed. I couldn't see it but Renegade also managed to replicate the mandible-esque design along my jaw with panels on the sides and top of my head. Overall, the holographic display gave me a spectral armored look that left no doubt to my femininity, as well as adding to my theme.

I was pretty sure my silk costume made me bullet proof, but with this I knew I was. At least to an extent. Renegade warned me that the field would stop a lot, just about anything he knew of until it failed. And that was the problem, if it ever failed, I wouldn't be able to activate it again until he powered up my omni-tool. He was still lacking a proper power source and was using his own abilities to sort of power it somehow. He explained something about a dark energy power cell of sorts that duplicated element zero. I didn't understand a lot of it. Still, it was one extra layer of protection I didn't have before and something that I doubt any of our opposition would likely be able to counter. For a while anyways.

Unless we got seriously unlucky. I didn't continue that line of thought. That kind of thinking was dangerous for a lot of reasons. Especially in a city like Brockton Bay.

"Are you breaching this time or am I?" He asked me.

I turned noticing he was holding the bandolier of grenades he came up with. "You. I did it yesterday."

Renegade nodded handing it to me. I took a moment to secure it to my body making sure it wasn't loose and didn't get in my way for when we got active. After he slung the duffel over his shoulder we made our way to the roof access door which was our only way into the complex below us.

"I still think we should have shotguns for this. How many inside again?"

"Six." I answered immediately. I'd been monitoring them.

"That's two more than when we arrived."

"None of them have powers. They're just normal gang members."

"I still think we should have shotguns." He grumbled.

I rolled my eyes. "The flash bang you made worked perfectly the last two we hit. Between our powers and the flash bang there really isn't a need for shotguns. It's overkill."

"You say that like that's a bad thing." He argued. "It's just S.O.P when clearing a hostile room. Besides, shotguns are intimidating. Stick a barrel of one into a hostage's face, and he knows to do as he is told. Cuts down on the hero factor."

I snorted at his argument. "I doubt we have to worry about these guys being heroic."

"Okay, how about the stupid factor?"

"Nothing accounts for that." I joked.

I heard him sigh, though I knew he was amused. "True enough."

Ever since we arrived I'd been positioning my bugs where I wanted them. A sizable portion waited in the walls of the apartment we were hitting but I had a lot on the floors above and below it as well.

"So, going back to my idea. I think we should at least hear her out." Renegade said.

I opened the door to our floor noting no one was there to see us. Not that I was surprised. The local gang imposed their own curfew. The residents of this tenement avoided this floor whenever possible, unless they were unlucky enough to live on it. One of the reasons we waited so long before coming down here. Should cut down on civilians getting caught in the crossfire if something were to go wrong. "Look how the trade with Uber and Leet went. What makes you think it's going to go any different this time?"

"Nothing firm. Just a gut feeling that she's on the level. Can't hurt to listen to what she has to say though eh?"

"Yes it can." I didn't need to look at the apartment numbers as I led the way. I knew where we were going. "We know nothing about her. I tried looking her up on the PHO and got nothing. At least with Uber and Leet I had an understanding of their powers. We don't know anything about hers."

Renegade was quiet until we were at our destination. "Does your reluctance have anything to do with the fact she's a villain?"

I turned. "That actually has a lot to do with it."

"If it makes a difference, she's not that bad for a villain. I've worked with a lot worse."

"Can we talk about this later? We're here."

He nodded not commenting on it further. Instead he faced the door. "Just like we've been doing all week. Breach in ten."


	16. Camera One 2

**Camera One 3.2**

I nodded pulling two of the canisters from the bandoleer. As I pressed the buttons on top I sent a command to my bugs that I wasn't saving for this apartment. In all of the apartments around us, including the ones above and below this floor they moved over the doors. Just massing over them. I doubted anyone was going to go near them now so that should keep the halls clear of non-combatants.

Just as my silent count hit ten, Renegade reared back kicking the door in. His power erupted in a smoky, almost living mist around his leg adding forces I didn't understand but could see as the door flew off its hinges. Once it landed inside I threw the canisters into the room then put my back to the side of the door frame just as Renegade mirrored my actions on the other side. My aim was perfect as the bug I aimed for sensed them hitting near it.

Two quick explosions of sound and light burst from inside. The startled and surprised voices changed to fear and pain as the flash bangs did their work. My bugs began pouring into the room from wall outlets, cracks, windows and vents. The rest preceded us through the front door as I entered with Renegade only a step behind me.

The room itself wasn't much. Entertainment center with some multiplayer game on a big TV. Couch sitting in front of it with a coffee table between. I took note of the powder lines on the glass surface as well as various other drugs in different states of readiness. I passed over it all at a glance. Every place we'd hit in the last week was pretty much the same. Instead I took in the three guys moaning and rolling on the ground. I walked past them heading over to their gaming system turning it off which cut down on half the noise in the room.

"Two others in the bedroom, one in the bathroom." I informed Renegade.

"I'll get them." Renegade stated as he tossed the duffel to the ground next to me. As it landed the top opened up allowing my collection of black widows, brown recluses, and wasps to flood out adding to my arsenal. All bugs too big to easily navigate the walls of the building. I moved them to the center of the room over the three there as he walked away to get the others.

Before he got more than half way the bathroom door burst open. The one I sensed in there came flying out. He was older than me by several years and had that drawn expression I was learning to associate with drug addicts. He had the sides of his head shaved but the rest was long enough to tie in back. I would have felt bad for him since he was dripping wet wearing only his briefs and t-shirt, but any sympathy I had fled when he started yelling and waving a huge handgun.

"Die you motherfuckers!"

It happened faster than I could react. The gun went off in a loud boom sounding more like a cannon than a pistol. He hit Renegade several times in the chest before the gun was empty leaving only the clicks of the trigger being pulled.

"Idiot." I heard Renegade mutter as he took two steps grabbing the gunmen by his shirt. I winced at the sound of the impact as Renegade's helmet smashed into his assailant's face. The guy's legs went boneless as he collapsed. Renegade dead lifted him with one hand casually tossing him into the living room with the other three before heading once again to the bedroom.

I swarmed him in bugs after he landed. "My bugs are very poisonous. The brown recluse especially. Even just one bite will cause your flesh to rot. Keep that in mind as you think about your situation. However, my spiders won't bite if you remain where you are. Quietly."

All four immediately stopped moving. From the bedroom I heard a girl sobbing. I turned as Renegade walked back into the living room with the last two. The guy was shaking like a leaf but my attention was on the half-dressed girl. She looked familiar but I couldn't place her. She was about my age, maybe she went to Winslow? That was about the only place I ever saw other people my age on a regular basis.

After a moment I dismissed that detail as unimportant. She wasn't one of the hanger on's of my tormentors which meant she was just some random face at school. I doubted this was going to be the last time I found people from there mixed up in things like this. Renegade was holding them both by the backs of their necks as he frog marched them toward me. A firm shove forced both to the ground with the others.

I stood above them trying to project confidence. "Lay on your stomachs with your hands behind your heads. Be still and quiet or I'll have my bugs bite you. How long I let them, depends on how much you annoy me."

I watched as they did as instructed. Renegade nodded once before he went to the kitchen starting to rifle through their cabinets. I reached behind me taking out several zip ties from my carapace pack keeping my eye on our prisoners. As I tied their hands behind their backs I could hear Renegade just throwing things around as he searched.

The lone girl was still crying to herself but I felt no shame as I tied her hands together. It wasn't that I couldn't emphasize with her decision to go this route. Hell, I couldn't say_ I_ wouldn't have if I hadn't got powers. I just had little love for addicts in general. And that was the slippery slope that was in essence all drugs. The addiction that took you over so you would do anything for your next fix. Maybe she would see this as the wakeup call she needed to get out of this life before she lost it. Hopeful thinking I knew, but weirder things have happened.

Renegade's voice broke me from my musing as I started tying up the twitchy guy who was with her in the bedroom. "Found it."

"You could have asked. I knew where it was." I said.

"True, but your power takes all the fun out of searching, Matriarch."

I snorted as I started in on the third. "You just wanted an excuse to trash someone's place."

"Not that they needed help..." I heard him grumble.

His comment got a chuckle out of me. I happened to agree with him but didn't comment further. The way our prisoners cringed had me thinking they didn't appreciate the humor of the situation as much as we did.

"So, I found this vid from Earth Alph we could watch later if you're interested. You did say I could pick the next one."

I rolled my eyes before I looked over to him from the guy I was tying. Renegade was standing by the kitchen table stacking containers of drugs on one side and the money on the other. Was there anything he took seriously? I mean, here we are, in the middle of a raid and he's talking about a movie he wanted to watch. "What's it about?"

"A marine who ends up getting caught up in an intergalactic war with giant bugs. Sounded like it would be fun."

After I finished tying up the last one I stood. I played along if for no other reason than it seemed to irritate our unwilling audience. "I hope you don't mind if I root for the bugs."

"Naturally, but don't be surprised when superior firepower ends up winning in the end." He returned good naturedly.

I chuckled as I walked a few steps before leaning against the wall to keep a better eye on our prisoners. One more drug pusher down. So far we managed to take out two stash houses and three drug pushers this week. We were learning to work together and avoid our powers clashing against the others in the wrong way. Our tactics were getting better and I was learning how to use my powers better with each encounter. Not to mention Renegade was getting funding to make more tinker toys. All in all, not a bad weeks work. Completely worth the sleep I had to sacrifice for doing this on a weekday. Which reminded me, I had school tomorrow too. At least it was Friday. I could get caught up on sleep this weekend.

I felt my mood sour a bit as my thinking continued. Despite all that, I had to admit I was a bit disappointed at how things were going. I was glad that things were going so smoothly, but it was just too easy. I noticed that feeling had been growing these last two days. The excitement of the stakeouts and raids was diminishing quickly being replaced with disappointment.

Renegade's voice broke me from my musing. He finished loading the bag with our spoils and was walking toward me. "What was that?"

I didn't realize I had spoken aloud but repeated my thoughts. "Too easy." I said waving my hand over the room to emphasize my point.

"Fuck you bit-" One of our captives started before Renegade stepped on him.

"Hush, the adults are talking." Renegade said not even bothering to look at the bound addict under his foot. His power started smoking from his foot counterpointed by the sounds of the floor, and the guy groaning from whatever he was doing to him. I looked back up to Renegade to see his helmet directly facing me waiting quietly.

"You're sort of making my point." I started gesturing. "Yeah, this is helping and we did this a lot easier than the cops could have, so I feel good about that. But this, kicking the crap out of these unpowered guys? I kinda feel bad about it. Hell, we beat up that one a few days ago." I said pointing at our captives.

Renegade turned looking a bit surprised. "Which one? The twitchy guy or rat face?"

"Twitchy."

"Was he the one you threw out the window?"

I looked to the ceiling half growing in frustration. Was he ever going to let me forget that? "I didn't 'throw' him out a window, Renegade. He jumped, and it was on the ground floor. Stop making it more dramatic than it was. Besides, how the hell was I supposed to know he was arachnophobic?"

"My versions better." He teased me.

I returned my eyes to his helmet to notice the slight shake of his shoulders. Asshole. "And no. He was the guy I used the Submission Net on."

If anything the shaking of his shoulders was more noticeable. As well as the humor in his voice. "Right, I remember now. He was the poor bastard you tagged to the wall. The one that got electrocuted when the anchor point drilled into the wall outlet before the breaker popped."

I ground my teeth as I tried to defend myself. "You didn't tell me it did that."

"That is sort of what it was designed to do. Pin a captive to a flat surface or wrap them up in the net before delivering a charge to render them unconscious, or at least stunned. Though, I doubt I could create _that_ kind of voltage on demand." His helmet tilted to the side. "Actually, I might be able to, now that I think about it. Probably melt the wire netting though and the damage to the captive would be pretty extreme. Not exactly suited for taking prisoners..."

I wilted slightly. I seriously hope he was teasing me. "Please don't."

He raised his hands upward, but was still half chuckling to himself. "Kidding. Sort of. Yeah, I actually could do it, but that's the kind of thing you do in extreme situations. Now, let's collect our things and let the local authorities know they can pick up these guys. Maybe this time they'll keep Twitchy in jail so you don't have to electrocute him again."

"Asshole." I muttered as I walked to the door with his chuckle following me.

Once in the hallway I activated my omni-tool. I looked at the various input keys for a moment before going into the help screen to figure it out. I heard the door close behind me as I was struggling to work the still unfamiliar computer interface.

"What are you trying to do?" Renegade asked as he leaned over to look at the screen on my arm.

I didn't reply for a moment as I managed to get the message routed the way I wanted too. "Just letting the police know they can pick these guys up. I was just having a hard time remembering how to access that program you made that does that for us."

"Yeah, sorry. I'll work on your interface tonight and get it smoothed out some. Maybe some quick keys?"

"That would help."

He nodded as we walked to the stairwell. Once inside and started on our descent I took command of my bug dispersing them for the moment. After a few floors Renegade broke the silence.

"What's really the issue?"

I sighed. "I just thought we'd be hitting one of the real gangs in the city. Empire Eighty Eight or the Azn Bad Boys. Hell, even the Merchants would be a better match for us than those guys."

"There are supplies we still need to acquire, facilities that we should get in order first, and of course training. But, if this is something you feel you are ready for, okay. However, this ties into what I was talking about earlier about recruiting to our squad."

"She wants to recruit us to _her_ team, Renegade. Her _villain_ team."

"We need allies Matriarch. Even if we don't add them to the squad, she has access to resources we could use. Just, think about it."

I sighed. "Fine, I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask."


	17. Camera One 3

**Camera One 3.3**

The spotter's scope sat on a small tripod in front of him. Sebastian pulled an energy bar from his breast pocket as he leaned away from it thinking. He mulled over what he had witnessed so far, and he had seen more than enough to know he didn't like it. After a moment to gather his thoughts and finish his food, he activated his omni-tool to record. "Jane 2. Five-two, fifty-two, maybe fifty-five kilos. Fair skinned, brown hair, freckles along the bridge of her small nose. Petite. Follower. Direct intervention unnecessary. If leadership is disbanded, not a priority."

He paused long enough to return his eye to the scope. He upgraded the scope just this morning and was glad for it. He zoomed in on the target taking a caption of her face. He'd find her name later. "Jane 1. Five-four, fifty-six, maybe fifty-seven kilos. Fair skinned, sort of pale, red hair, no blemishes. Physically fit. On further observation does not actually lead the squad. Public face. Possibly due to unknown affiliations. Further research is required but no longer considered Top Priority. Will still require a solution. No other status change."

He stopped recording, going back to watching as he took her caption as well. The way she walked wasn't the way normal civilians walked. It was structured, well balanced. Public personality? Possibly. If she was it'd make extranet searches ten times easier.

Sebastian sighed. He hated stakeouts. The slow, almost grinding, gathering of intelligence that took days, months even before anything could be done. In the past, he delegated this chore as much as he could to people more suited to the task, like V.I.'s or drones. Here, he didn't have anyone like that so he dusted off his skills and took the job on himself.

Actually, he hated solo stakeouts. Stakeouts with Taylor were actually pretty fun. Usually takeout from some place she heard of, random comments about the targets. And her fucking powers. Holy shit was that a game changer. She made STG operatives look like amateurs. Sebastian snorted as the image of Kirrahe's face if he was around to see her work. He'd probably sell out the entire Salarian Union for a chance to recruit her.

Sebastian shook his head casting aside that image. The targets moved into the structure so he activated the thermal imager to follow them. Jane One and Jane Two entered one of the rooms pausing at one of the seats for a moment before taking others further back.

His eye twitched. This was the third incident today of them doing that. He pulled away from the scope again. From his pack he took out another energy bar and quickly consumed it. He chased it with a bottle of water keeping his eyes on the structure and his quarry. Those two watched as their activities bore fruit, but it was Jane three he decided to follow. She was in one of the common areas where the storage lockers were. Sebastian frowned. She wasn't in her own locker.

After a moment he activated the recording again, deciding to use this time to compile a few notes. Once he started it again, he pulled his laptop out going over the strange encryption he found earlier.

"Jane Three. Five-Five, Fifty-four maybe fifty-five kilos. Dark skin, dark hair. Athletic. Leader of the squad. Assigned Top Priority. Calculating, cautious. Body languages suggests training. Freelance? Villain? Possibly. However, program code found in the structures surveillance feed suggests something more organized. Only known military organization in the city is the Wards. Conclusions, problematic."

He looked up from the code he was studying looking through the scope again. She moved on and it took him a moment to find her again. Walls of the structure where what? Maybe a quarter of a meter thick? Maybe half? No more than one for sure. He nodded to that thought. If he counted the building's inner walls, one meter was about right. Wall composition looked like drywall, wood, and brick. Hard to tell from here and he couldn't risk getting closer for a scan without the structure's surveillance getting a look at him. Specs would be on public file with the local government. He figured the distance from his post was just over five hundred meters. Tungsten would cut through that like thrown rock through paper.

He'd scored head shots on harder targets.

"Observation: Social Hierarchy. Apparently restricted to local environment. No apparent grand agenda beyond dominance in this limited sphere of influence. Squad aggression not limited to the charge, but their focus is unnervingly aimed there. Further investigation required."

"Dominance Conclusion. Some kind of need for control? Suggests a lack of control but targets display rudimentary levels of cunning and restraint. Possibly a narcissistic affliction and/or a mental disorder. Both cannot be discounted at this time. Detailed background information required relating to past events in which trio are known to have been involved. Medical records could also provide clues to mental disorder conclusion. further investigation required."

He looked up through the transparent blind to the noonday sky. Rooftop surveillance wasn't usually the best choice for these kinds of things due to being so exposed but the cloak took care of that. Plus, if they left the complex earlier than intended he needed to be mobile to follow.

"Observation: Lack of Agenda." Sebastian continued. "No agenda indicates an 'in the moment mindset.' Addiction. Narcotics unlikely. Emotional probable. Fits pattern of activities observed to date."

He clicked off the device thinking through the next part of his report. He no longer had to file them, thank God, but old habits, even rusty ones, were hard to shake. Besides, the Alliance spent thousands of credits teaching him these skills. Be a shame to let them run fallow.

"Observation Summary: Jane 1." The crouched man uttered as he continued. "Sadist mindset. Enjoys giving pain to others emotionally. If unattainable, escalation to physical violence is possible to satisfy addiction. Further research required. Supports mental disorder theory. Supports Dominance Conclusion."

"Jane 2. Typical follower. Shared glory by proximity. Cannot discount using proximity to avoid being a target herself. If alternative protection was available, could be flipped. Further research is required."

"Jane 3. Sadist Mindset. Aggressive. Adversarial. Combative. Almost Batarian in her actions with an Asari patience. Suggest a very strict worldview of might makes right, and an inherent belief that she rests at the pinnacle of this structure."

He once again cut the recording going over his observations. Considering how little he had to work with he was pretty confident this was a dead end for now. He deactivated his omni-tool turning instead to the portable terminal to study the surprise he found imbedded in the network here.

The encryption was impressive, elegant even. He knew enough from his brush with it that it was a monitoring program that was attached to the surveillance software in the complex he was watching. He scrolled through a few more segments nodding along. Tasked, at least that was his guess by what he was seeing, with looking for certain predestined triggers. What those where, he couldn't tell from the snippet he gained, but whoever was watching knew he had tried to access the feed. At least, they knew someone tried to remotely access the feed.

One question he had was why? This level of encryption for _here_? The only conclusion he could see was that it was put in place either to watch someone because they were looking for something specific, or they were protecting someone. Both were worrisome.

Another question was how? Who on this world had this level of skill? It would have taken him a month to put together something like this. So, he was dealing with someone who was educated like he was and patient. One thing he couldn't completely discount was that he might not have managed to throw off all pursuit after his arrival. If Cerberus was here, they needed to die, regardless of his promise to Taylor. She didn't understand what they were capable of. If push came to shove, he'd show her, but that… that was problematic in its own way.

Still, if that was the only way to convince her, he'd do it. No reservations.

Sebastian rubbed his eyes. He was redlining well before the he arrived here. His self-imposed solitude didn't help. Nor all the work he'd done trying to figure things out. He knew he was burning out. Just didn't know how to stop it. He absentmindedly reactivated his recording program. "Self-Note. Next time you decide it's a good idea to spend a day doing reconnaissance, get a full night's sleep first. Preferably, more than one."

He closed the terminal. Nothing could be done about that now. It was going to take him some time to devise a counter program that would give him access and not be discovered. Assuming he got it right the first time. He'd only get a second chance if whoever this was wasn't watching closely. Which, considering the script portions he read, wasn't likely. No one put that much effort in and just left it to rot.

He looked back to the complex his targets were in. "Scenario Resolutions: Sanitation. Unviable without command approval. However, I will note that it would make this whole thing a lot fucking easier."

"Play the Game. Without a sanitation option, with further research into the backgrounds of targets, it is possible to 'beat them at their own game.' Detailed bios on all three necessary. Complicated, takes time, and has a high probability of escalating to violence. This would defeat the purpose of not sanitizing them from the beginning. Command probably won't go for this either."

"Local Authorities. Considering how widespread the trio's influence is in this limited sphere, the likelihood that the local authorities are compromised is a high possibility. Any resolution is unlikely to come from this direction. Observation Encryption lends weight to this conclusion."

"Conclusions: Barring an inexplicable lack of hostilities and/or the intervention of an outside agency, not to mention the lack of a sanitation option, further research will be required. Backgrounds to each of the Jane's, past activities, their families, connections, city influences, finances, as well as those of local authorities will be necessary to facilitate the creation of a resolution that Command will accept."

He stopped recording as he saw lots of movement. Most of the structure's populace were leaving their rooms. He check the time nodding to his thought that it was about time for the afternoon meal.

He didn't have any difficulty finding his targets. They were waiting with a few others in the hallway. He panned over to the adjacent room seeing Taylor talking with one of the Professors. Judging by what he could see of her body language she wasn't happy with the topic.

It took about five minutes before she was released to go about her business. Not that she got far. Just to her locker where she recoiled as soon as she got close to it. Jane Three's work from earlier no doubt. As if thinking of them brought them to the fore, they converged. The Janes, with a small group of followers surrounded Taylor blocking all egress routes. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. Promise or not, he wasn't going to watch her get hurt if he could stop it.

Sebastian reached into his duffel. The second the object cleared it began unpacking extending to its full length. He laid it on the wall bringing his eye to the scope as he adjusted the site. It didn't take long for him to zero in on the scene.

Slow deep breath. Slow exhale. Steady hands gripped his weapon as he adjusted the site so the cross hairs fell over Jane One's nose. He disengaged the safety before slowly placing his finger on the trigger.

Even going through the rough thermal imaging program he installed he had a clear shot. A few quick calculations allowed him to adjust for the distance as he watched how this would play out.

Taylor folded her arms looking like she was just going to bare through it. Verbal harassment then. Why did she let herself get surrounded? She knew better than that. It was one of the things he constantly couched her to be careful of. Granted, he was also teaching her to deal with an enemy who had numerical superiority, but she didn't have any gear.

She had her bugs though. Why wasn't she using them? Why didn't she have the buildings layout mapped in advance? Why wasn't every organic in the building tagged? _Damn it,_ Sebastian thought to himself.

As he watched he could see Jane One seemed to be working herself up to something. So far they hadn't made any aggressive movements so he held himself in check. He didn't move from the scene until Taylor's face shifted slightly looking over Jane Two's shoulder.

He panned the scope toward that direction. The professor had just left his room. "Good, he'll put an end to this shit."

Except he didn't. Through the scope Sebastian watched as the man turned to the scene, then walked away.

It took every bit of his self-control not to pull the trigger. _Further evidence of administrative corruption._

He returned the scene. Jane Two looked on. Jane Three was hanging back also just watching though her body posture displayed she was more than ready to leap into things if given the slightest encouragement. Sebastian ground his teeth.

Whatever Jane One was saying was starting to have an effect. He could see Taylor shaking slightly before she bolted through the crowd leaving behind her things.

_Pull, Jane One down. Figure one, maybe two second surprise leverage as their minds try to understand what just happened. Plenty of time to drop Jane Three. Jane Two would run but I bet I could take her out before she got far…._

Sebastian growled to himself. He could easily do it, but didn't. They didn't escalate, so he couldn't justify this action.

Would have felt good though.

He pulled back compacting the rifle and storing it away before he tempted himself to use it. Once done he looked through the scope to see a distressed Taylor fleeing through the front entrance. Sebastian's frown felt like it was etching into his face. He adjusted the scope to give him a closer view of the running figure. He managed it but she was surprisingly fast.

Her steps seemed automatic, sure but unfocused. He panned the scope to get a look at her face before she rounded the corner and he lost sight for a moment. She was crying.

She reappeared on the other side, still running to the bus stop. Once there she sat on one of the benches putting her head in her hands, shoulders shaking.

How long has she been dealing with this? Why was she allowing it to happen?

"Shore leave." Sebastian muttered to himself. That's what they needed. They'd been running full tilt since the trade. That wasn't doing either of them any good. He reached into his pocket pulling out his portable comm dialing the number for the one he gave her last night. Hopefully she listened and kept it on her.

Through the magnified lens of the scope he saw her jump. He shook his head when she looked around to see if anyone was watching before extracting hers from the pocket of her jeans.

"Hey…"

"Not a bad time is it?"

He heard her sniff before answering. "...No, no. Um, is everything alright?"

She must have heard something in his voice. He adjusted his tone to a more lighthearted one. "Yeah. Had a thought. What do you say to some Shore leave?"

"Shore leave?" Taylor asked in surprise.

"Sure. I think we've earned a bit of R&amp;R. "

"Oh, um… like a… I mean, hang out?"

"Pretty much." Sebastian's frown faded turning into a smirk. She sounded a bit enthusiastic about the idea. That alone made the idea worthwhile. "Any ideas on what would be good? Figured you'd know better than I would."

"The Boardwalk as a few places. Brockton Bay is a tourist city and that's where they go. Kinda expensive."

"I think we can afford it." He chuckled.

"Right…"

"So, want me to pick you up or meet you there?"

He watched her stand up through the scope. "A ride sounds good. When you get here..."

His eyebrow raised when she turned around. Through the magnified view the scope offered he saw Taylor lift her head upward. Face a little haggard and eyes slightly red.

Staring directly into his own as he was standing right in front of her.

"...you can tell me what you are doing on top of that building."

_Now that's not creepy at all…_ He thought to himself with a wide smile on his face. _Better late than never. _

"Your range has gotten better."

"We'll see if that still impresses you when you get down here." Taylor replied firmly.

"Be there in five." Sebastian said as he cut the connection. He raised his eye from the scope seeing a wasp on it. It didn't move. Just_ looked_ at him in a way he'd never seen an insect do before. Even Rachni didn't have that kind of control over their drones. Nor did the Collectors over their swarms. This was his first taste of being on the other side of her power. If half their opponents feel like this when faced with her, she could own the city inside two months if she wanted it.

"Yeah, Kirrahe would have sold the Dalatrass herself into prostitution for your skill set. Hopefully I don't end up like Twitchy when she's done with me…"


	18. Camera One 4

**Camera One 3.4**

I heard the rumble of Sebastian's bike before it came around the corner a few minutes after he hung up. He parked next to where I was standing with my arms folded. I waited until he dismounted and took off his helmet. However, he spoke before just as I opened my mouth.

"You look pissed."

"Figure that out all by yourself did you?" I snarked.

Sebastian raised his hands as if surrendering. "You are pissed. Okay, not saying you don't have the right to be, but hear me out before you eviscerate me?"

I made no attempt to moderate my tone. "What are you doing here?"

"Backing you up." Sebastian stated simply.

I blinked. I knew there wasn't anyone close enough to hear us but I still lowered my voice so only he could hear me. "Backing me up, from a rooftop, with our surveillance gear, under the cloak, three blocks away?"

Sebastian turned slightly so he could look at the bike. I didn't need to look to know he saw the three spiders on it. Nor did I have to be a thinker to see he figured out I had enough bugs in the bag to know what was in it. "It had a perfect field of view of both major entrances as well as the majority of the school buildings. I scouted a few other places but none of them offered the same over watch capabilities that one did."

I pinched the bridge of my nose trying to stop the migraine that was starting. He didn't seem the slightest bit repentant. At least he wasn't trying to joke his way through this.

"How long have you been here?"

"Since zero four hundred, Earth standard." He answered formally.

His wording caught me slightly off guard but how long he was here stole my attention. "Since four… So you didn't even rest after last night. You what, came here after dropping me off?"

"Not quite. Picked up a few things from my place then came here. Got a couple of hours rest though after I set up."

"Tell me you realize just how fucking creepy this is?"

Sebastian nodded firmly, "Yes. It occurred to me you would feel that way which was why I set myself out of your range. Well, I tried to set myself out of your range. As I said, it's gotten better. That's a good thing since it means your abilities are still growing, even if it means you caught me."

"Stop with the bullshit flattery!" I snarled. "You knew I would be upset and yet you came here anyways? What the fuck, Sebastian? Why the hell are you spying on me? God damn it! This is my private life! What gives you the right to do something like this and just act like it's no big deal!?"

I noticed a slight gleam in his eyes as I raged at him. "There it is…"

"There _what_ is?" I half growled.

Sebastian didn't make any attempt to keep his voice down when he answered. "There's that _fire_ I see at night!"

The bugs I had on a few pedestrians across the street told me they turned at Sebastian's shout. "Will you keep your fucking voice down? You trying to out me?" I hissed harshly.

His voice lowered as he took several steps to stand in front of me before flinging his arm to point at the school. "No, but why the hell are you not taking that fire to those mother fuckers in there? Why the hell are you letting them torment you?!"

The passerby's were watching us now but being across the street meant they couldn't hear what we were saying. So long neither of us started shouting again. "We're being watched now so keep your voice down. This is exactly why I keep my lives separate! What gives you the right to just walk into my personal life uninvited and spy on me?"

My question seemed to take some of the anger out of his voice. "Because we're team mates. More importantly, to me anyways, you are my _friend_. A _friend_ I respect and care about. You're the only good thing I have on this fucked up planet. If you think I'm just going to sit back and let shit like this happen to you, then you're wrong. You mentioned having a rough time here but you never told me it was like this!"

"Because I didn't want you coming here and killing anyone!" I hissed it as quietly as I could. My breathing was slightly ragged with our faces nearly touching in an effort to have this out without anyone else hearing. "I'm handling it. I've been dealing with this place for almost two years. If I told you what was happening here you would have come here and started killing everyone, and despite the way they treat me, I'm not going to let that happen!"

Sebastian's eyes were locked on my glare. I could tell by his face he knew I was right. "Why, Taylor? Why are you doing this to yourself? You never struck me as the masochist type, but this? No one should live like this."

I took a step away from him feeling my own anger burn out at his tone of voice. The couple across the street started moving on finally but I noticed three others moving into hearing range as they headed for the bus stop. I walked to the street corner putting a bit of distance between us before I turned back to Sebastian who followed me without hesitation.

"If I retaliated, where would it stop? What am I going to have to do to make them stop? Trash talk? What good is that going to do against what they have already shown they are capable of when I didn't fight back?"

"Kick their ass? I could probably take Emma and Madison, alone or together, but not Sophia. Maybe if I caught her alone yeah, but not all three at once. In the last two years they've turned the whole school against me. You think all those other assholes are going to just let that go? Hell, a couple of months ago Emma had two guys try and drag me into an alley after school. Would have too but they weren't nearly as fast as I was so I was able to get away. Just me on my own, I can't win against these odds."

"You wouldn't be alone if you let me help you." Sebastian stated grimly.

"And that half makes my next point. The only way I could take them on, or any random person who happened to find us fighting is to use my bugs. How long could I get away with giving them craps or lice before something happened that escalated things so I would have to do more? Once I go down that road, where do I draw the line?"

"Even if I lowered myself to their level and did that, what do you think would happen? Emma's dad has a lot of big shot lawyer connections. Madison's family is fairly well connected with the city's merchant council. Who do you think they're going to side with? Their daughters or the girl who used her powers to kick the shit out of them? They'd have me in the fucking Birdcage before I could even blink."

"Even if I thought it was worth it, Sebastian, and I will admit there are days I am tempted to, I won't. I'm better than them. Better than these sad, shallow bitches who get their thrills tormenting me. Because of them, I got powers. Now, I'm going to use them to help people. If I use my powers on them, I become no better than they are. I can't lower myself to that. I won't justify what they did to me. Even if it means I have to keep taking their shit."

Sebastian folded his arms before leaning against the light pole next to us. The three people I noticed with my bugs were sitting on the bus stop bench. They didn't act like they heard anything and I was pretty confident I managed to keep my voice low enough that they couldn't. I was very relieved when they boarded the bus that showed up a few minutes later.

I was so emotionally drained by all this. What Emma said about my mom, how she used her death like a blunt instrument to hurt me. Sebastian spying on me. I just wanted to be anywhere else but here. I don't think I ever felt this tired. By the time Sebastian started talking again I managed to wipe my eyes and get myself under control. "That, is a reason I can respect. I don't like it, I still think you should let me do something about them, but I can respect your reasoning."

"You're not going to do anything to them, Sebastian. Just… just let this go, okay?"

It took him awhile before he replied. "Alright."

It was grudgingly spoken, but it was enough. I turned to away from him. "Why did you even think you needed to do this?"

"The day we met you looked like hell. You mentioned things were rough for you here a few times but never told me what. So, I decided to be close by in case something happened."

To be honest, it was probably the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, while also equally being the creepiest fucking thing ever.

I'm not sure what it said about me that I couldn't tell them apart or decide how I wanted to feel about this.

"Why?" I asked still trying to wrap my head around all this. "Why go through all this for _me_?"

"Why do you think you're not worth it?"

I didn't reply.

Sebastian sighed at my silence. "Taylor, do you know how I managed to achieve the things I did back in my dimension? Now, I'm not the bragging kind, but I'm good. I'll even go as far as to say I was the best at what I did for the Alliance, and most of that involved killing or blowing things up. But what made me _great,_ wasn't my biotics, the training, the weapons, or technology I had. It was the people who fought with me."

I turned to look at him noticing his eyes never left me. "My methods back then were not always the cleanest, but why I did the things I did were. Dirty work leaves a stain on you that nothing can wash off. No matter how necessary. It takes something from you, every time you find yourself having to do it. The alternative is that you don't, and innocent people get hurt, or die. So, I did the work that needed doing and the people who followed me did the same knowing it was going to get harder to look themselves in the mirror the next morning."

"People like that, they're a rare breed. No matter their species. As their commanding officer, I had to take care of them so they didn't crumble under the stress. Sometimes that meant talking to them, being that understanding ear they needed. Sometimes, it meant helping them with something. Helping them take care of unfinished business so they could devote themselves to the task ahead. Now and then, it meant I had to shoulder the load for them. And I did, because they needed it. Because we were team mates. Mostly, because they were my friends or they were people I cared about in some way. Since Mindoir, I always had a hard time allowing myself to get close to people. For those I do, there isn't much I wouldn't do for them. And I've done some pretty fucked up things for the people I cared about. I can never wash that blood from my hands, but I'd do it again if it meant the I could alleviate their burdens."

Sebastian lowered his arms taking a few steps closer to me before he enveloped me in them. I felt my whole body stiffen. "I won't hurt those girls, but I would kill each and every one of them without hesitation if it meant your life would be easier."

I shivered slightly in Sebastian's warm embrace. "You do realize you sound like a complete psychopath, don't you?"

I felt his chuckle where my cheek was pressed against his chest. "I have my moments."

I stayed there, safe in his arms for a while before I moved. He let me go without resistance. "Let's get out of here. We've already risked enough having this out in a public place."

"Where to?"

"Just, take me somewhere safe? No people." I asked hugging myself.

"I know just the place. After a while when you're feeling better, maybe we can talk about something that's come up?"

I turned back to Sebastian. "What do you mean?"

"An associate of mine came to me with a problem. I want to help him and his family, but this isn't like what we've been doing this last week."

I started to get a bad feeling at how that sounded. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I want to rob a bank."


	19. Camera One 5

**Camera One 3.5**

My mind was still a jumbled mess by the time we rolled into the parking lot. Seriously, when did my life get so complicated? Not that I was complaining, it sure beat what it was like before. At least now, I had upsides to look forward to. Even if they were upsides that would have most normal people running for the hills. To most people I knew, going to the Boardwalk for a few hours is a great idea, but who thinks it's a good idea to go hang out at the Boardwalk with a gun slinging space cowboy who placed killing people firmly in the same category as making a sandwich? As Sebastian parked I looked to the back of his helmet.

_I do,_ I thought with a slight smile. In the few weeks we've known each other I've learned there were two things core to his personality. One, Sebastian was probably the most dangerous individual in the Bay, pound for pound. His power was versatile; he had knowledge of his powers that anyone would envy, and, for lack of a better word, they were powerful. If he had a rating, I would imagine it would be in the upper sections. Easily an A Lister.

And that was just his powers. He had a huge knowledge base to draw from. Trained, well-educated and experienced. Okay, granted, most of that had to do with hurting people, and he knew _a lot_ of ways to hurt people. Which, I thought as I dismounted the bike, I really hoped he didn't do here.

Not that I was _really_ worried about him doing something like that. For all his cavalier attitude when it came to most people, Sebastian was remarkably controlled. Not sure if that was his training or something he learned to do to on his own to control his impulses, but it was still something that I admired.

As I set the helmet on the bike, my thoughts brought me to the second thing about him that stood out. Sebastian was, professionally speaking, fucking nuts. In the last few weeks I've tried to understand how his mind works but it operated like a pachinko machine. One moment he as the sweetest person I ever met, and the next, I'm wondering if today is the day I'm going to have to hide a dead body. I shook my head at that thought. Not very fair to him.

Even if it was true.

Another example of his thought process. He suggests 'shore leave'. This sounded a lot like he was asking me out on a date but actually was just his idea of hanging out. Not that I was surprised or anything. Sebastian wanting to hang out made a lot more sense than thinking he might be interested, that way.

I sighed burying my feelings on that subject as much as I could. I had enough to think about without thinking about my nonexistent love life. Way too depressing.

So now because of how my day had gone, I suggested we go somewhere safe with no people. I was thinking of that movie he mentioned we never got a chance to watch. Starship something or another. Sebastian says he knew a good place, which I thought might have been either my house, or wherever he was staying. And where do we end up? The Boardwalk.

Safe, yes. People free? Not so much.

I turned looking to the entrance at the end of the parking lot. The arch stood maybe twelve feet up with a wooden sign proclaiming our location to everyone who looked and judging by the crowed I saw, there was a lot of people here. "Erm... I kinda didn't want to be around so many people."

"Sure you do." Sebastian playfully argued. "You just don't want to be around bitchy _Azures_."

"_Azures_?" I asked as I turned to him.

Sebastian was going through his stuff in the saddle bag. Between the fact he was kneeling behind the bike and had his head down I couldn't see his face. "It's slang for a part of the Asari body in some parts of the galaxy."

"Alright," _Best to just go with it._ "Where?"

"Mainly toward the lower end." He answered.

I shook my head as I corrected him. "Actually meant where on the asari body."

"So did I." Sebastian said as he looked up with a dirty smirk on his face.

_Yeah, I had it right the first time._ I thought as I rolled my eyes at his juvenile humor.

"How many languages do you know?" I couldn't help but ask him.

"Two. English, and really bad English, though I can swear pretty fluently in three different human languages as well as a half dozen galactic ones."

I rolled my eyes at his comment. "Of course you can."

"We should go shopping." Sebastian abruptly suggested surprising me.

I raised an eyebrow at his completely random comment. Twenty minutes ago he wanted to shoot Emma. Now… "Shopping."

"Sure, don't girls like to go shopping in this century? They did in mine."

I blinked. "Umm. I suppose so?"

"Then we should do that. Where to first? Lots of places here."

"Well," I hesitated trying to switch mental gears. "…there's a bazar down that way." I pointed. "Lots of vendors selling just about everything touristy the Bay offers. Like I said before, kinda expensive."

I watched as Sebastian finally stood. In his hand was a stack of bills half an inch thick. "Think this will cover most of it? I can bring the other half if not."

"Are… Is that… How much is that?"

"Ten thousand of the local currency."

"You're driving around with ten thousand dollars in _cash_?"

"Bit over twenty actually, but yeah. It's not like humanity has access to the volus run galactic markets yet. How else am I supposed to carry it?"

Okay, off all the things he could have said, that actually made sense. Between our ages, and the fact we'd be trying to move large amounts of money it wasn't like we could use a bank.

_Especially if we actually start robbing them._

Still, it was pretty shocking. I mean, I never even had more than five hundred in my account at any one time and he was walking around with over _twenty grand! _In_ cash!_

Before I could respond he continued oblivious to my reaction. "Besides, half of this is yours anyways. I have the rest at my place until we figure out a better way to store it."

"Mine?" I asked ignoring the fact he said there was more. I was having a hard enough time with just this.

"What? Did you think I was keeping all the proceeds from our salvage?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, no, but you never said anything about that. Just that you had a guy who was doing that for you."

"Same guy with the problem actually, but we'll talk about that later. Back to my earlier question, think this will be enough?"

"I don't see how we'd need anywhere near this much unless you're planning on buying a boat or something."

Sebastian nodded handing half the stack to me and pocketing the rest. "Then I think we should go."

I folded my share and stuffed it into my jeans uncomfortably. As we started walking toward the archway ahead I couldn't help but feel like there was a huge sign over my head that read 'Hi, I'm an idiot carrying five thousand dollars! Mug me!'

"I don't know about this." I couldn't help but voice. "I feel like there's a target on my back. I'm just waiting for someone to attack us."

For all my uncertainty, there was none in Sebastian's voice when he spoke. "Anyone who tries and attack us is either desperate or incredibly stupid. Stopping the first is a sad necessity. Beating crap out of the second is a favor to our species."

His comment actually got a chuckle out of me. It _was_ stupid to worry about that considering who we were. Even if we didn't use our powers, Sebastian alone was easily a match for just about any regular thug on the street we might come across. As for me, he taught me a few tricks that, while I might not flat out win in a fight, I could certainly make someone regret starting one.

As we passed under one of the arches that proclaimed our destination I took in the scene. It was crowded. Lots of people in their finery doing their tourist thing moving from shop to shop, chatting loudly and in general, enjoying the festive atmosphere.

So different than when I ended up here on my runs. I could barely recognize the place. Still, I found my mood lifting. Maybe there was something to Sebastian's random idea after all. No Emma and company here to bother me. I had money and I couldn't think of better company to spend the day with. I looked to the sky noticing that it was completely clear. Why shouldn't I enjoy myself? Sebastian was right, we had earned a bit of rest and relaxation for our efforts this week.

"I haven't been in place like this since the last time I visited Elysium." Sebastian stated as he looked around.

I started walking to the market bazaar. "Did you have people to buy things for you when you were serving?"

He shook his head while still looking around. "Not quite. Sometimes. You could get just about anything over the extranet and have it shipped to you or to your next port of call. What I meant was shopping in a place like this. I don't see a single weapons or tech dealer anywhere. So strange, it's bothered me for the last six months. How do most people get their small arms?"

I rolled my eyes at his question. "Stop being an ass, Sebastian."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smile. I was catching on to his teasing ways. It took us about fifteen minutes to walk the crowded distance. As we poked about the various booths I found a genuine smile on my face. I never was one for just randomly shopping for things, but Sebastian's reactions to the various bits of merchandise we came across made the experience worth it.

"Tell me it's a gag gift." He half asked me pointing to a display rack.

I laughed at the horrified look on his face. "Nope."

"If anyone from the Hegemony ever saw stuff like that, they'd use it as justification that Humanity did not deserve a place in the galactic community. God forbid the Turian Hierarchy ever saw something like that."

"Somehow I doubt that. Its just underwear."

"It has someone's face on it! Hey!" To my amused embarrassment Sebastian called the vender over.

"What are you doing?" I asked while still struggling to hold in my laughter.

"Getting confirmation."

The smiling woman walked over with a curious look on her face. "Yes, young man? How can I help you?"

"Do people really buy those?"

"Yes indeed. I'm sorry to say we are all out of the Legend's and Alexandria's though. I just can't get enough to meet the demand. We do have a selection featuring our very own local Wards over there sir, if you're interested?"

I looked from the helpful sales woman to Sebastian and lost it. He looked completely stunned. I was still laughing five minutes later after vender got frustrated and half shoved us away from her stall.

"Mental." I heard him grumble to himself as we walked to the next booth. "I have no idea how humanity expects to be treated seriously by the other civilizations in the galaxy if they keep going like this. It's a miracle my people made it as far as they did if they were like this in the beginning."

"Stop being so dramatic." I said between chuckles. Not seeing anything interesting in the next few booths we continued through the area. "At least now I know what to get you for your birthday."

Sebastian shivered which made me laugh again. "And I thought Aria had a vicious streak in her. You're evil. You are an evil, evil woman."

Still laughing I stopped at another clothing booth. Like the other one it had a lot of hero merchandise for sale. Mostly t-shirts. I walked over to one of the racks and started going through it. Looked like a section on the Wards. "You can't tell me there wasn't similar stuff where you're from."

From over the rack I was looking through I noted Sebastian smiling back at me. "Sure, but it's just as stupid now as it was then. These people are supposed to be 'Heroes'. The pinnacle of paragonic virtue. Men and women who fight the good fight for the betterment of society, and here they are, whoring themselves out like pole dancer on Omega. Like this guy…"

I looked up from a Aegis shirt that caught my eye. Sebastian was holding up one that featured a different Ward. He stood in a heroic pose. His head was tilted upward, arms on his hips with one foot stepping on some villain I never heard of before. Whoever designed it went the extra mile detailing his silver and gunmetal black armor, as well as showing off his trademark smile.

"Not a fan of Gallant?" I asked. I didn't even try to hide my amusement at his overplayed disgust. "He's pretty popular, as far as Wards goes."

"I'm not a fan of idiots, no." Sebastian emphasized by shaking the shirt slightly. "And anyone who allows their faces put on underwear and t-shirts is an idiot."

"There's also action figures, dolls, plushies, lunch boxes, pens, notebooks…" I said ticking off the various bits of merchandise available just to wind him up.

"Oh, for the love of… What's next? Gallant the Flamethrower?" Sebastian asked sarcastically as he put the shirt back.

I snorted. "If there was, I bet it'd be Kid Win's. He's the Ward Tinker." I corrected him as I moved to the next rack.

"I bet the kids would just love that. At least if they did something like that, the item in question would have practical applications and be useful. Flamethrowers have a lot of tactical uses. Even if it had some morons face on it."

"Then I'm glad you don't work in the Protectorate P.R. Department. You'd have weapon dealers on every street corner. The city would be burned to the ground by the end of the week."

I pulled a shirt from the rack. This one was one of the better ones. It was white, with a couple of overlapping gears on the front of the left breast pocket. The back had a really good rendition of the doomsday clock covering most of it. The hands were stopped at a second till' the thirteenth hour. The image sort of became iconic of the ward since he joined. The legend at the top identified who the shirt was representing.

"See, if you're going to be a tool of the state, at least do it with style. This one I can actually appreciate." I half turned to Sebastian to find him standing behind and to the side of me looking at the shirt. "Clockblocker." He chuckled. "I even like his name."

I smiled at Sebastian's turn around. Clockblocker was hard not to like. "At least there's one Ward you like."

I was further surprised when Sebastian took the shirt from me before walking over to the vendor. I shook my head at his antics. I couldn't tell if he was being outrageous because that was his personality, or if he was trying to make me smile.

As I watched him buy the shirt, thirty bucks was asking a bit much but he didn't even bat an eyelash at the price, I couldn't help but smile regardless.  
"Hungry? I missed lunch."


	20. Camera One 6

**Camera One 3.6**

"Sure. Here, try this on." Sebastian said before he plopped a ridiculous straw hat on my head.

"I can feel my intelligence dropping by the second." I glared at him from under the wide brim.

"Perfect."

"I'm not wearing this stupid thing…" I started to say as I took it off. Some of my hair had got caught in the cheap weave of the hat, snagging it. I started to pull them free when I noticed Sebastian put a worse version on his own head. I blinked at the eye catching tie dyed bandana around it. His ridiculous smile as if it was the greatest thing in the world made him look even more idiotic.

Half to my embarrassment I burst into laughter, which made him smile wider. I kept laughing for a moment until he put the other hat back on my head.

"Now, you need a tourist shirt, Miss Militia maybe, and some sunglasses then we'll be ready to go."

I opened my mouth to argue when I felt him take my hand. My cheeks flushed at the contact which effectively killed my retort as he half dragged me to the next stall that sold sunglasses and started putting them on. The first one had goggle eyes but it was swiftly followed by purple framed ones, then one that looked like gears. Each following pair more ridiculous than the next.

I looked around trying to see if anyone was watching his antics. It also gave me a moment to get myself as much under control as I could considering he seemed intent on embarrassing the hell out of me before we left for lunch. I sighed at the idiocy I was indulging in as I reached for one of sunglasses you can clip on your real glasses. As enticing as the idea of being blinded to the looks we were likely to get I wasn't looking forward to walking around completely blind. "Why are we doing this? This is ridiculous."

"Yes. Yes it is." Sebastian said looking into the mirror wearing a pair of overlarge sunglasses.

"So, we're doing this, why?"

"Because we're tourists. This is what tourists do."

"No we're not…"

"Yes, we are."

Something in his voice made me look up at him from the more conservative pair I was holding. As he took off one pair to try on another I noticed his eyes looking steadily into the mirror in front of him. I lowered my voice. "What's going on?"

I looked into the corner of Sebastian's eyes as he changed glasses again noticing they were intently staring into the mirror. The way he was looking made me think it wasn't his own reflection he was studying. I narrowed my eyes. I didn't know what was going on but something had his attention. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise.

I leaned into him using the same mirror he was and repeated my question. "What's going on?"

He answered me still trying on different glasses. "Security's been following us for the last ten minutes."

"Why would they do that?"

"Could be several reasons. Two immediately spring to mind. He's either not really Security and looking for a mark, or it's because he's not used to seeing teenagers in the market this time of day."

_So stupid. _Of course he wasn't. School didn't let out for another few hours still. "And this is why we're wearing these stupid eye catching hats?"

"Heh. What's the difference between a local and a Tourist?"

"Aside from the obvious, locals generally can't afford to do more than visit these kinds of places."

Sebastian chuckled. "Probably true, but I was actually talking about the obvious. Tourist don't live here. Locals do. Locals wouldn't be caught dead with some of this merchandise, much less be willing to be seen wearing any of it because they are likely to meet people they know. They have to live here so they don't want people to see them being silly. Ruin their rep."

"Tourists are free from that. What do they care that some local is laughing at them for their indulgences? Doesn't affect their little corner of the world. So they are free to be silly and indulge in activities they normally wouldn't do all in the name of being on vacation in a foreign location. Local Security might not be trained to look for that behavior pattern, but if they have been active long enough, they would subconsciously look for it as it sets the local apart from the tourist. The last thing any security person is going to want is for locals to be trolling about ruining the visitor's experience of their city. Never doubt it all comes down to credits. So, we play the tourist which seems to be working. He's moving on."

I blinked. "So your plan to throw off Boardwalk security, is to look like an idiot and be happy about it?"

"If it works. Which, it is. Want a pair of sunglasses?"

"What I want," I said as I started leading us out of the market. I took the opportunity to link my arm in his to direct him. Totally so we could use the proximity it offered us to talk privately. No ulterior motives here, no sir. "Is for you to explain how you know all that. Was there anything they didn't teach you in N7?"

I gulped as he one upped me. His arm moved from mine to encircle my waist leaving his hand resting comfortably on my hip. I almost stumbled at the contact but thankfully didn't make more of a fool out of myself than a slight stiffening of my posture. Sebastian seemingly oblivious nodded to what I said while matching his stride to mine. "Heh, not something they actually teach. Though I didn't take the infiltrator courses, so I can't say they don't, just not something they added to my skill set. Actually, I picked this up from Ash."

"Ash? I don't think you mentioned him before. Was he a friend of yours?"

Sebastian nodded. I noticed a strange expression cross his face when he did. I'd only seen it once before. That night on Captains Hill when he talked about some of his old squad. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, formerly of the Two-Twelve Garrison force attached to Eden Prime."

"Wasn't common knowledge it but wasn't exactly a secret either, but the Two-Twelve had a bit of a rep as being a washout unit." Sebastian informed me with a slight look of distaste on his face. "Marines who couldn't hack it in mainline infantry. Ash had the bad luck of being born into a family that was blackballed from service. Had to admire her drive though. It takes a special kind of rough neck to slam skulls against those odds."

"She'd seen her share of shit postings from the day she graduated basic. Alliance brass had her pegged for the Two-Twelve as soon as they realized they couldn't get her to wash out. I read her jacket, they tried like hell but they didn't realize she had a stubborn streak that would have made a Krogan proud. Shame too, with her scores she would have sailed through the N Program. Anyways, Eden Prime was just the last in a long line of garrison stints in tourist spots."

"Ash could spot a tourist a mile away." Sebastian chuckled. "After Ash joined us on the SR-1, we used to play a game on the Citadel whenever we were in port. Spot the Tourist. You would think I'd be decent at it with my N7 training but Ash was downright frightening. I can count on one hand how many times she was wrong."

As we crossed out of the market we found ourselves walking along the pier overlooking the bay. His chuckle turned into a laugh as we walked. "Didn't matter the species either. The Citadel was the tourist destination of billions, what with it being the seat of rule for the galaxy. I remember the first time we played that game. Kaiden was with us and we were stopped at an overlook spot like this, but instead of the bay it overlooked the other four arms of the Citadel. Kaiden was talking about how frustrating yet understandable the Councils view of humanity was since we were galactic newcomers."

"I made a smart ass comment about how we had beautiful scenery, beautiful women," I felt his hand pat my hip which caused my face to heat up again. I ducked my head slightly so he wouldn't see it. "...emotions like love. What was there _not_ to like about humanity?"

"Ash came back saying that if I wanted her in a tin foil mini skirt and thigh high boots she wanted dinner first."

I chuckled with him. It would take _a lot_ more than dinner to get me in an outfit like that. "She sounds like a character."

"Heh, Ash had a sense of humor to make a marine blush when she felt comfortable enough with them. Caught Kaiden by surprise often enough. Had a bit of a chip on her shoulder due to her family history though. Didn't get close to many people. Didn't like aliens much either though she overcame that on the Normandy well enough. At least for Garrus, Tali, and Liara. She never did get along with Wrex though."

"Sounds like she got close to you." I commented.

That look was back in his eyes. I could literally see the earlier humor draining them. I wilted slightly wondering what I said that caused it. Did that come out jealous? After a moment Sebastian nodded. "Yeah. We... got, pretty close."

"Something happened."

Sebastian nodded. "Yeah. She died."

I winced. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm sorry..."

Sebastian waved it off. "Most of the people I knew are dead. Or were, I guess. Depends on how you look at the time stream, I suppose. Actually helps a bit knowing those things haven't happened yet. Knowing they'll get a second chance, like I am. Even if I wont be there for it."

I looked around awkwardly noticing we were close to a good place to for lunch. Probably be a better place to talk than just randomly walking around the boardwalk. "Did you want to talk about it? We don't have too, but if you want?"

Sebastian stopped walking. He let me go instead leaning on the railing overlooking the bay, and the Protectorate base floating over it. I stood next to him as he lit a cigarette. "We were on Virmire tracking down a lead on Saren when it happened. We linked up with an STG cell there and found out Saren built a research facility where he was studying Indoctrination and was cloning Krogan. The plan was to blow the facility. We split into four groups, Kirrahe lead Mannovai, Kaiden had Aegohr, which left Rentola with Jaeto. Liara, and Tali linked up with Mannovai and Jaeto respectively which left Garrus doubling with Kaiden. I ran Shadow, which was tasked with getting in deep and securing an LZ for the improvised tactical nuke Kirrahe put together."

As I listened I couldn't help but jump when he casually mentioned deploying a fucking nuclear warhead. I shook my head at the thought that the future, as Sebastian was painting it, just didn't seem like all that great a place to be. The random thought of how cool it would be to visit another planet was offset by the idea that had I been born in his time, or his dimension, I might have been visiting one just to blow it up.

"Ash, Wrex, and I cleared the deployment site when Kaiden got into a bind at the AA tower. Geth had them pinned down so they couldn't extract. I left Ashley with a couple of marines to guard the nuke while Wrex and I rushed to help the others."

Like that night on Captains Hill, his voice got quieter as he talked. I watched as Sebastian's eyes seemed to lose focus, lost in the memory. "We got about halfway when a drop ship started bleeding geth over the bombsight. Kaiden wanted me to go back, but Ash decided differently. She armed the nuke."

"She set it off?" I asked horrified.

Sebastian shook his head. "Set the timer, then fired the panel so it couldn't be stopped. Things were spiraling out of control and at that moment I realized, time had run out. We weren't getting everyone out of there. I was going to have to choose who did."

Sebastian sighed. It took him a while before he started talking again. "I've lost a lot of people over my years of service. Most of them because of my decisions. I wasn't known as "The Butcher' for just what I did to my opposition."

I stayed quiet and listened.

"It never really affected me. It was part of the equation. Command liked me because I understood this. I understood sometimes you had to sacrifice people to guarantee the mission. I did it during the Blitz which saved tens of thousands of civilian lives for the cost of twenty marines. I did it again during the Torfan Campaign putting down seven united pirate bands numbering over three thousand for the cost of only two hundred. But this, this was different."

Sebastian held up one hand. "Do I save the woman I… was coming to care for, the first since Mindori?" I watched as he raised the other hand. "Or do I save the team that was tactically superior with two of my technical assets, not to mention several STG operatives. After a grueling few seconds, I ordered the Normandy to the bombsight. That's when Ash came over the comms…"

With the way he talked, I could easily see it. A futuristic hallway somewhere, Sebastian pacing. Torn with indecision and guilt at the choice he was facing. I could see the scene clearly in my mind. It was so vivid I could almost hear the sounds of gunfire in the background. I felt myself lost in the imagery as he continued.

_"Belay that Joker, you're not coming back Skipper..."_

_"Like hell I'm not Ash! What the hell do you think you're doing?"_

_"Making sure this bomb goes off, no matter what."_

_"Damn it Williams! Hold tight, I'll be there shortly."_

_"This isn't like you. Coman… Sebastian, you've never made the wrong call before…You come back for me, and there will always be a part of you that… You'll never be able to trust your judgment again. You're compromising the mission. For _me_. You _know_ Alenko's the right call. Tactically, _he's_ the right choice. Now get going."_

_"Ash, I..."_

"According to the Normandy's V.I. Gorden, Joslen, and Marnio were down by this point. Geth's weapons fire was impacting against whatever cover she was using. The noise overtook the channel for a moment until it let up enough for me to hear what Ash was saying. I only caught the last part of it. _'It matters not how strait the gate; How charged with punishments the scroll; I am master of my fate; The Captain of my soul._"

"I remember closing my eyes, hearing that. I knew what I wanted, but I also knew what the mission demanded. So, I said my last words to her knowing, just as she did, it was the only way this would go. No matter what either of us might have wanted. _'Fight hard, Marine. Die proud._"

"Her reply was just as grim as mine. '_Aye Aye Sir_."

Sebastian flicked the dead cigarette from him. "I can imagine that is sounds, odd. That in that moment, those would be our last words to each other considering, well, considering. I guess you had to know Ash to understand."

I knew he expected me to say something but I had no idea what to say to any of that. "I'm sorry." I ended up saying lamely. I wasn't sure if I meant about what happened, or even bringing this up in the first place.

"It is what it is. Ash and I, before Virmire we were getting close. A lot closer than we should have, considering I was a superior officer. There was just something about her… Had she survived, would we've continued to get closer? I don't know. Probably not considering what happened later but losing her like that changed me. You could say, it made me harder in some ways. Did, until Tali talked some sense into me."

Tali, I thought, who he saw die in the final battle. The other girl he was involved with. Fate, luck, whatever you wanted to call it didn't just seem to deal him a bad hand, it almost looked like it was out to get him. I leaned into Sebastian so he would know he wasn't alone anymore. I didn't comment on the tear that slowly trekked down his cheek. I don't know if he was comforted by my gesture or not, but I stood there anyways, trying. For sometime we just watched the waves roll across the bay. Sebastian hurting from things I could barely imagine, and me trying to help him through it, and failing badly.

Sebastian was a ball of pain and fury rolled in a cocoon of violence, spinning in a vortex of misery. He might have been an unstoppable soldier where he came from, but here, at this moment, he was every bit the lost teen I felt like most of the time. Perhaps more so with the baggage he brought with him. I couldn't help but admire his strength though. To live through all of that, to lose so much and still come out the other side _wanting _to help people. He talked about how the people who followed him were a rare breed, taking on the things they did for the cause. As I thought about it, I decided that if they were rare, Sebastian was unique.

I didn't know if I could help him recover from his old life, but I knew right then and there, I was going to try. I knew I could help him. I didn't know how yet, but I knew I could.

Whatever it took.


	21. Camera One 7

**Camera One 3.7**

I walked next to Sebastian. He hadn't said much since the boardwalk except to let me know what he wanted for his takeout order. For my part, I was too afraid to say something that would cause him to remember something else horrible that had happened to him.

There seemed to be a lot of those moments in his past.

It hadn't taken long, despite how it felt, to get his duffel from the bike and then make it to the beach. The sand around us sparkled in the daylight, the waves crashed on shore adding its chorus to the scene. The bay chill was just enough that it was refreshing. Would have been nice if not for circumstances.

We had passed the point where most people went. The ground became rocky here. I stood on one of the rock outcroppings looking back noticing the contrast, and the sign that stated quite clearly we shouldn't go any further. I turned around but didn't see Sebastian. I figured he couldn't have gotten far. I concentrated on keeping my footing as I continued forward. I wasn't as worried about falling as I was ruining our lunch if I dropped it.

Once I reached the sand again I finally noticed Sebastian. He was exiting a massive drainage pipe with his power surrounded him like a living nimbus. I'd seen him like that before, though usually in costume, so that didn't surprise me as much as the small boat that floated behind him. He walked to the water's edge without a care that he was uncostumed, in broad daylight, using his powers so blatantly. I looked around to make sure no one else could see him. Thankfully, the rock outcropping hid us pretty well from the boardwalk proper.

"I hate it when you do that."

Sebastian turned to me as the boat settled into the water. "Use my biotics?"

"Use them in plain sight when we're not in costume. Makes maintaining a secret identity a lot harder than it needs to be." I answered as I finally drew next to him.

"I still think it's overrated this need for masks and costumes. I can understand the need for body armor, but costume disguises and secret identities just seems like a lot more trouble than they're worth."

"Tell that to New Wave." I countered. "They're lucky only that most of them are pretty powerful, but ever since they outed themselves, they've been constantly fending off villain attacks at their home. I remember reading on the Wiki that there was about forty attacks against their friends and family last year."

"Point." After a moment he sighed. "Alright, I'll be more careful and check the area next time."

"Thank you. Where are we going that we need a boat? I thought we were going to your place."

"We are."

"And we need a boat to get there?"

"Well, I could use a Mass Effect field to make us lighter and then deploy a singularity to sort of sling us over there. Might take a couple of jumps to get there though. Assuming I get the trajectories right for each jump, but that's really exhausting. Not to mention I haven't done anything like that in years. Not since before I got my officers commission. Command didn't like the idea of their officers indulging in reckless sports, especially Ricochet"

"Do I even want to know what 'Ricochet' is?"

Sebastian smiled while he held the boat steady for me to climb in. Thankfully the back half of the boat was still on the sand so I didn't have to worry about getting my feet wet. "Great sport. You have to be a biotic to play Ricochet because it's a variant of Gravball. Just with less rules. With the prejudice against biotics amongst humanity, even if the Alliance was generally accepting, we tended to keep to our squad mates, or to ourselves. It was a popular pastime for us between missions. Kept our skills sharp and let us exercise our abilities in a controlled environment as well as learn new ways to use them."

"Also helped us integrate with the regular marines. There are a few things that are guaranteed to get a marines blood pumping. Usually that involves sex, the idea of hitting a bar after a grueling mission, a hot combat drop, and Ricochet. Not necessarily in that order though. Depended on the marine."

Thanks to his steady hands I was able to climb into the front section without tipping the little boat. Sebastian climbed in while he was explaining and with a push of his power got us deep enough for him to drop the little outboard into the water line. A quick tug slightly jostled me as it rocked the boat in a way that made me feel like it was going to tip over. Thankfully it didn't and it only took him one try to kick it into gear. He settled in piloting us deeper into the bay.

"I'll take your word for it. Can't say I feel the same way." In actuality, that 'sport' of his sounded a bit too much like a bunch of guys trying to hurt each other, in friendly competitive way. Well, friendly for his people I suppose. Not exactly my idea of a fun evening. Instead of commenting further I changed topics. "So, if you don't live around here, where do you live? I mean, this little boat isn't going to get us very far. Do you have a place on the other side of the bay?"

"Not in the way you're thinking. We're going to the Boat Graveyard."

I stared at him shocked. "You're kidding."

Sebastian shook his head while keeping a steady arm on the outboard. "Not at all. After I arrived here I decided I needed a place close to supplies while being defensible and away from the local inhabitance. The Boat Graveyard was perfect."

"So, you're what, squatting in an old wreck?"

"Made a few repairs." He half defended. "At first it was mostly just sealing off areas I needed. I'll grant you it's been rough living up until this last week but with an omni-tool I've made some serious strides in getting things up and running properly. Still a long way to go but I've made more progress in the last week than I have in the previous six months. Plenty of salvage now that I can get my hands on it."

I shook my head stunned. We rode the rest of the way in silence. I prepared myself for an uncomfortable, and hopefully quick, visit. Despite how confident he sounded that the conditions were decent, I just couldn't see it.

The Boat Graveyard. It took us about half an hour to arrive. It wasn't so much the distance, but the fact the little outboard he was using just didn't have enough power to get us there quickly. Even if it did, I doubted we would have been able to do so and keep the boat from capsizing since it was so light. Not without his powers to keep us steady. At least we weren't out on the open ocean. I've never been out on it before but I heard the chop is generally a lot worse.

As I took my first up close look at it, I could understand why Dad refused to talk about it. It wasn't so much the boats that stuck out from the waterline; there were only three that I could see. They looked like rusted husks of the once proud shipping vessels they once were. Seaweed slapped against the sides counterpointed by the sounds of the waves as they impacted the old hulls.

Still, it wasn't that visual that sent chills down my spine. It was the sense of hopelessness that seemed to permeate this place. Like the salt in the air, it was just there. Everywhere. As if those ships we could see, and the dozens of others at the bottom we couldn't, were crying out at the injustice of it all.

The scene could be summed up in one word. Depressing. And Sebastian made this his home. Fitting, I grudgingly allowed, considering what his life was like when he first arrived, but not something I hoped he would continue with going forward.

Despite all that, I had to give him serious points for the location. No one would find him out here unless they knew what to look for. No one from Brockton Bay would want to live in the location that pretty much killed the city. For that reason, I doubted the locals would even consider it as a possible base of operations for a cape unless clued in somehow. Too taboo, I guess.

Sebastian guided our craft around one of the wrecks so that the city was hidden by its bulk. I expected some kind of hole or door or something but it was seamless except for the mooring hook he started to tie us too. That in itself was odd. It didn't look like a natural part of the ship but I couldn't see how he attached it to the hull. I couldn't help but be slightly impressed when he placed his hand on the side of the ship and the door appeared. It indented, sliding to the right revealing a hallway that looked at odds for how the ship was positioned. Considering how the ship was laying the hallway should have been skewed, but it looked normal.

He picked up and tossed his duffel inside before he climbed in with an ease to make anyone jealous. If it wasn't for his steady hand, I probably would have fell into the water. As it was I just barely managed to get inside dry when a strange feminine voice broke the silence scaring me to the point I almost jumped back ruining his efforts to keep me dry.

"Biometric scan complete. Welcome aboard Commander. Sensors detect one unregistered organic presence. Data corruption. Unable to verify identity. Deploying defensive countermeasures."

"Damn it, of course you're not wearing your omni-tool." Sebastian muttered as he picked up his bag slinging over his shoulder. Then he raised his voice projecting it to the empty hallway. "Chatika, belay that. Upload file Xray-674553-Tango-42, Matriarch. Add current bio scan to file. Authorization Epsilon 6739, Omega Black."

He turned to me with a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry about that. Still working some of the bugs out of the latest update to her software."

I gulped. "Defensive countermeasures?"

"Of course. I have a lot of sensitive data here. Not to mention my weapons. I'd rather blow this place to hell then let them fall into the wrong hands."

Before I could reply the computer spoke again. Now that it wasn't threatening to kill me, which I have absolutely no doubt Sebastian's 'defensive countermeasures' were lethal, I thought I recognized the voice. Weird as that was. It was the same voice print he used for his drone during our trade with Uber and Leet. "Authorization updated. Request access level for new user."

"Full access."

"Specter Status verified. New user file update; complete. Greetings Matriarch. Welcome aboard."

"Err, thank you?" I half replied, half asked. I felt really uncomfortable talking to the empty hallway so I turned back to Sebastian who seemed amused by it.

"What kind of countermeasures do you have in place here?" I asked half fearing the answer.

"Kinetic barriers, sentry turrets and combat drones. Traps in the floors and walls going through most of this hallway. If those were to fail, Chatika has instructions to scuttle the ship as completely as she can using the main reactor."

I blinked owlishly at him behind my glasses. "Reactor? How the hell did you build a reactor in a week?"

Sebastian looked confused by my reaction as he explained. "Only took a few days. Its a small geothermal design we used on Mindoir all the time. There not really that difficult to make with an omni-tool, a drone, and a fuck ton of omni-gel. Light metals for gel is plentiful in these old ships, just had to send the drone out to get it. The hole could have been the hard part, but the drone did all the work. I just had to build the generator and the vent cap. It's not like I'm trying to power a Kilimanjaro class dreadnought with it. It's just to supplement half dozen drones and keep the lights on."

"And the artificial intelligence?"

"Virtual Intelligence actually, or V.I. for short, and yes, I designed her to help with what I'm doing. Chatika runs all my underwater salvage and construction drones, as well as the bulk of my manufacturing now. Like I said, I've made a lot of improvements to the place in the last week."

"Is it common to name your computers where you're from?" I asked still trying to get a grasp on everything he was telling me.

He touched a panel closing the door behind us. "Not really. Some of us did. I patterned her off Glyph, Liara's drone. However, she got pretty secretive after she became the Shadow Broker. Wouldn't let me have access to parts of his program. Since I didn't know how she did it, I used a lot of quarian scripts in Chatika's build instead. She ended up a tribute to an... old friend."

At my questioning look he continued. "Chatika was what Tali called her drone." I winced, but thankfully he didn't see it as he started leading the way deeper into the ship. "Besides, spend enough time talking to it and calling it 'computer' or 'machine' gets old."

I followed silently. When I turned the corner at the end of the hallway I found it opened into an enlarged space that stopped me in my tracks.

I was surprised to see the floor was covered in some kind of thick, black rubber matting. The walls were about what I was expecting being riveted steel. Power cables ran along them haphazardly easily taking up a third of the space. What I didn't expect was all the gadgets hanging from the ceiling that looked like a combination of projector, camera, and launcher. They were strung together by thick cables similar to the ones along the wall. My thoughts returned to what his idea of counter measures could be. Yeah, definitely lethal. Thankfully, I didn't see any along the floor.

In the center of the room was a circular platform. Kind of. I had no idea what it was for, except that I hoped it wasn't the reactor he built. When he walked close to it a holographic representation of Brockton Bay suddenly appeared in incredible detail which pretty much solved that mystery. Complete from Captains Hill on the outskirts to the bay itself.

It disappeared once he moved away from it heading toward the right corner of the room. He walked past a huge screen but it wasn't like anything I'd seen before. It wasn't physical, but holographic like the map was. There was even a couch sitting in front of it.

"How the hell did you get a couch in here?" I couldn't help but blurt thinking of his little boat. My imagination gave me the image of him cruising along with it floating behind him. Probably the least of the questions I should have been asking but it was the first out of my mouth.

Sebastian laughed as he finally reached what looked like a work desk. Except it was full of techno junk in various forms of completion. He let his duffel drop to the floor next to it before he removed his omni-tool attaching it to some kind of docking port. "Found it in the cargo hold. Along with a lot of the furniture here. I was pretty impressed with how well it was preserved, all things considered, but that had more to do with how the hold had weathered time than the efforts of whoever did the packaging."

I watched stunned as he knelt down to his bag to remove his laptop from it similarly connecting it to his network. The computer, Chatika, interrupted before I could ask my next question. "Commander?"

"Yes?"

"Power levels have dropped to sixteen percent. Currently reserves are insufficient to maintain optimum levels. In point three-six-two hours I will need to begin operational triage shutting down non-critical systems to maintain functionality."

"I thought you built a reactor that provided plenty of power?" I questioned. This whole thing was very confusing without the answers I had contradicting themselves moments after I got them.

"It does. She's referring to my other reactor. For most things the G.T.R. works fine. However, I still need something that can generate mass effect fields for the drones, and the reactor can't do that. Not without eezo, which I haven't been able to track down yet. Best I can do is supplementing their power supply."

"Oh. So, what? The lights are going to shut off in half an hour or you just lose your drones?"

"No, the lights will stay on, but I'll have to charge the system myself. I need the drones to keep working." Sebastian sighed. "Which is inconvenient since doing that will pretty much wipe me out. Charging the system requires me to deplete my biotics. I haven't managed to do more than crawl onto a flat surface before passing out since I built it. I usually do it later in the day but I didn't last night."

"Oh." I replied. Because he was stalking the school. Right.

I pushed that awkward though to the side. Still, if he did that it pretty much put an end to my thoughts of a movie.

"I can take you to shore first if you like?" Sebastian hesitantly offered.

I looked around thinking about it. It was still fairly early in the day and I really wasn't looking forward to going home and explaining to Dad what I was doing out of school. "I don't mind waiting, if that's alright?"

I smiled when he did. "That's fine." He turned slightly pointing out different things. "That's the kitchen, workshop, Head, and that's me. Feel free to have the run of the place. Chatika will give you access to whatever you need."

"Thanks. I guess I'll see you in a few hours?"

Sebastian nodded before he walked to the room he said was his. I stood there slightly uncomfortably until the hatch closed. I looked around a bit but I didn't even know how I was going to kill the time ahead.


	22. Camera One 8

**Camera One 3.8**

I walked over to the couch sitting down. As I did I realized I was still holding our lunch. It wasn't going to be any good later so I opened the bag. Not having anything else to do I pulled a burger taking a bite.

"Matriarch?"

"Yeff?" I garbled trying to swallow my half chewed food. I looked around stupidly knowing there wasn't anyone to look at. It took me a moment to clear my airway to talk.

"Um, yes?"

"There are currently six projects that require updating. Would you like to do so now?"

"Um, shouldn't Sebastian do that?"

"Authorization requirements only necessitate a Specter Status User. Commander Shepard is currently incapacitated. You are the only other Specter on record. Would you like to view the files?"

"I don't know…" I hedged. I didn't want to invade his privacy, even if I was curious. "Can't it wait for Sebastian to wake up?"

"Affirmative. Warning; completion time of all projects will be delayed accordingly."

My curiosity was starting to get the better of me as I thought he didn't really want any of his projects delayed. That was why he went to charge, whatever it was he charged to keep them working. "Oh. Um, okay. I guess, show me the first one?"

In front of me, what looked like a semitransparent, three foot page appeared. I read through the content getting the gist of it fairly quickly. It looked like he tasked his computer to hack into local servers to speed up access to the internet. How he was doing it I didn't understand, but I understood that he wasn't happy with using the wireless relay stations he set up through marker buoys in the bay.

I shook my head. Of course he was stealing internet access. I don't even know why I was surprised anymore.

"How do I go to the next page?"

No sooner than I asked, the page moved to the next. "Is there an easier way for me to do that? Preferably without having to ask for it?"

"Yes." Chatika replied. "Omni Interface can be obtained via omni-tool."

"I don't have that."

After a moment something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look noticing a large glowing green arrow pointing downward at something on Sebastian's desk. "Additional hardware can be found here. Please move to the marked location."

I smiled bemused as I put down my food and walked to Sebastian's desk. Where the green arrow was pointing sat two small bracelets. I bet he never had to worry about losing his keys with this set up. "Are these omni-tools?"

"Correct. However, they differ from combat models on file as they only allow access to this systems holographic interface. To use, attach hardware to your wrists. I will update the program to match your physical configuration."

I put them on and waited for a moment before my hands became encircled by two omni disks. I returned to the page not even realizing I was hurrying to do so.

This was so cool.

It only took about five minutes for the computer to run me through the tutorial. As I got used to Sebastian's set up I couldn't help but think, this was the only way to use a computer. Despite the fact I didn't like what he planned for his internet access, I went ahead and confirmed the next step.

The next few files all concerned his underwater salvage operations. As I read through the files I found he was stripping the sunken ships for materials. Starting first with all the light medals which he was converting to omni-gel and storing them until needed in containers built from heavier metals cut from the ships hulls.

That interested me a lot. With enough drones, Sebastian could do what the city couldn't. Reopen the bay and its shipping lanes. I wasn't an expert in social engineering but even I knew that the ratio of haves and have not's was horribly skewed in the Bay. There was practically no middle class. Those on the lower tiers ended up working with villains just get make ends meet. Like Mr. Gerry. I frowned a bit at the guilty feeling that came with thinking of the Irishman. I kinda wanted to check up on him but couldn't without revealing who I was. That and I don't think he'd appreciate a visit from Matriarch so soon, if ever all things considering.

I shook my head refocusing on the information in front of me. There wasn't anything I could do about that now. But, if Sebastian could clear out even just a few of the ships to create a safe passage, Brockton Bay could bounce back stronger than ever. Dad might even be able to reopen the ferry again.

I smiled thinking about all that. That would make dads decade. "Chatika?"

"Yes Matriarch?"

"Taylor. Um, just refer to me as Taylor when I'm not in costume, okay?"

There was a pause that made me think Chatika was thinking about it. Just how far did Sebastian go into her programming?

"Preferences updated. How can I help you Taylor?"

I gestured to the file floating in front of me. "How long would it take Sebastian's drones to reopen at least one shipping lane."

"Approximately one year, three months, twelve days to clear space for the standard 'Capesize' ocean going cargo vessel rated to a maximum of one hundred and fifty thousand dwt, to traverse the bay without risk of damage."

I shook my head at that answer. "No hours, minutes and seconds?"

I blinked at the dry tone used in the computer's strange accented reply. "I can extrapolate if you desire. However, based on extranet research, most humans tend to find that irritating."

Well, nothing like getting put in your place by a smart ass computer to make you want to get back on topic. "Right, no that's okay. Um, how much can we cut that time? With resources Sebastian has access to."

I waited while the computer worked. It didn't take long to reply. "At best, if all efforts were to be tasked to this objective, time frame can be narrowed down to nine months and ten days. However, this will significantly delay other priority projects as well as place severe limitations on the commander. At minimum, fifty more drones would need to be constructed and powered. Without sufficient upgrades this system in unable to effectively administer more. Commander Shepard would be extremely limited for the duration of the operation."

I didn't like the sound of that. I had a suspicion he was taking a risk of a blowout every time he charged his system as it was. "And if we had Element Zero and upgraded your system for the drones?"

"With sufficient quantities of Element Zero and sufficient upgrades to allow for management of two hundred drones without compromising other systems, the operation could be completed in two months, four days."

I whistled. Two months. We could reopen shipping in just over two months if we did this. That was unbelievable.

"Show me what you would need."

"Processing request. Please wait."

I started pacing as ideas rolled through my head. After a few laps around Sebastian's living room, or command center depending on how you looked at it, I noticed my nearly forgotten cheeseburger. I picked it up to finish it off as I waited.

I was returning from the small kitchen where I disposed of the wrapper when Chatika finished and brought up an outline of everything we would need. I felt myself sinking back down to reality as the full extent of what we needed was laid bare in glowing orange and gold letters in the displayed graph.

"Holy shit. That's a lot of steps."

"Displayed operational process is accurate within established parameters."

"Maybe we should change the parameters then. That looks like it would take a lot longer than two months."

"Correct. Preparations are projected to take one month and sixteen days."

I sighed. So that actually added to the time frame making this thing closer to four months. "Are there ways we can cut that down too?" I asked. I shook my head avoiding some of the more complex equations I saw. If I was going to get involved in this stuff I really needed to let Sebastian teach me what all that garbled stuff meant. Maybe I should take him up on his offer to let him teach me engineering. Especially if all this really wasn't just tinker craft and I could actually learn to do this.

Being so lost in my own thoughts I hadn't noticed the long pause from the computer until it started talking again. "Operational updates required."

"Damn, and Sebastian is sleeping right now…"

"With your permission Taylor, necessary updates necessitate only that I divert thirty percent of my operational matrix to the task."

"You can write your own code?"

"Commander Shepard has granted the necessary algorithms for self-updates within very strict guidelines."

"So, that's a yes then?"

"Yes."

"And these updates won't cross those guidelines?" I asked cautiously. I had no idea what they were but if Sebastian felt they were needed, I wasn't going to question it.

There was no pause in its answer. "No."

"This isn't going to shut you down for a while is it?"

"No. I will still remain fully functional during this process."

I nodded satisfied. "Okay."

"Update in progress. Would you like to view the other files waiting updates?"

"No, Chatika. Bring up Sebastian's search on Element Zero."

"Of course."

_XxXExiledXxX_

Around me in a semicircle floated dozens of screens. Files, web pages, a couple of muted videos ran around me as I moved my attention from one to another taking it all in. All of them focused in some manner to the topic I was researching.

"Okay, you win." I muttered as I leaned back into the bar stool backing I was perched on.

"It was not a competition, Taylor."

"Uh-huh."

I noticed the little drone floating to me out of the corner of my eye. I turned to it accepting the steaming cup of coffee it was bringing me. "That's why you sound so smug, right?"

When Chatika didn't reply, I smiled behind the coffee cup I was drinking from. It tasted just as good as Sebastian's. "Thank you for the coffee."

"You are welcome Taylor. How would you like to proceed?"

"There's nothing we can do now. They're all dead ends."

"One lead has not yet been explored."

"Don't remind me…" I muttered as I took a sip.

"Taylor? What are you doing here?"

To my embarrassment, I spit out the coffee I was drinking as I lept from the stool. Through my surprised reaction to Sebastian's sudden appearance I lost my grip on the cup causing it to fall, splashing the coffee it still held over the floor and my shoes.

"Don't do that! You scared the hell out of me…" I started to say as I turned to him only to spin around and face the other way. A mortifying nervous giggle broke out before I could stop it as I tried to answer his question. "Um, you brought me here?"

There was a moment's pause before he replied. "Right. Sorry, charging that system really takes it out of me. How long was I asleep?"

"Commander, you have been inactive for ten hours, eighteen minutes."

My intake of breath at how much time had passed was echoed by Sebastian's grunt. However, other things kept intruding on my thoughts than how long I'd been occupied by his computer and my research. Things like trailing water droplets and skin…

"Are you alright Taylor?" I heard from behind me.

"YUP! Um, yes. Yeah! I'm good…"

"You seem really flushed. You didn't try any of the cylinders in the cooling unit did you? They weren't meant for organic consumption."

"No…"

"Commander, I have been monitoring Taylor's biometrics and all is normal. I believe her current state is a result of your lack of apparel. I think the organic term for her condition is 'aroused'.

"I hate you so much Chatika." I muttered as I hid my face in my hands.

Sebastian was quiet. I was sure that in my embarrassment I somehow managed to break the laws of time considering how long the next few seconds took to pass.

"I see." I was relieved to note how uncomfortable he sounded was now that he realized he was...without apparel. "I...should probably fix that."

Part of me, a really naughty part that I was having a hard time shutting up, didn't like this idea very much. However, the more rational part of my brain ended up winning out. "That would make conversation much easier."

"Right."

As I heard the hatch to his room clang shut, that traitorous part of my mind thought this didn't feel very much like a win.

I looked up from my hands to glare at the ceiling. "You could have told me he left his room to take a shower. Better yet, you could have reminded him that I was here so he didn't walk out _naked_."

"I had assumed he was aware of your presence since you informed him of your plans to remain. It was unanticipated the commander would be incapacitated to the extent of short term memory loss. Regardless, those preferences were not on file. If you desire, I can update my systems accordingly."

I knew I was going to regret it, but I said the words anyways. "Yes, do so."

"Preferences updated."

I frowned at the screens still up trying to pull myself away from the momentary flash I got. I took several deep breaths, and an act of will I didn't know I had to do it. Once I managed to recenter myself I killed the time while Sebastian dressed to clean up my mess.

He walked out of his room just as I refilled my coffee. I looked at him before lowering my eyes. I kept them on my coffee as my blush burned across my cheeks.

I heard Sebastian take a seat across from me. "I really am sorry about that. When I woke up I couldn't think straight. The only thing I could think about was a hot shower and a cup of coffee. I didn't mean…"

"It's okay. Really, it's fine. Just an accident…"

_A happy accident..._ A traitorous part of me thought.

I took an awkward drink still keeping my eyes down for the most part. They kept flicking upward to make sure he was actually dressed. I jumped a little in my seat when he started talking. "You've been busy. What are you researching?"

"Possible locations of Element Zero." I muttered.

"You spent the day looking for eezo?"

I nodded. "Chatika wanted some of your projects updated. You gave me full access so she took that to mean I could do that for you. You made a bit of a deal about not wanting your projects delayed so I looked through them. Hope you're not mad…"

"Not at all. Chatika, bring up the changes Taylor made to those projects please." I looked up seeing a set of smaller screens to the ones I was using spring up around him. Sebastian nodded his head to what he was finding.

"Thanks. Looks like you followed the plans I outlined for the most part. Why the divergences in these though?"

I pointed with my cup of coffee to the screens by the main setup where I was working. "Chatika would you bring up 'Project Undine' please?"

"Of course Taylor."

The screens I had up all vanished and were replaced with a host of others. More than those that originally hung there. I saw the surprise on Sebastian's face as he rose to check them out.

I rose as well following him feeling like I was walking on pins and needles. I tried to gauge his reaction to what he was reading but couldn't see anything except for intense concentration. After a moment he asked for the omni bracelets I was wearing before he started cycling through it all.

I couldn't help but be impressed as he assimilated everything we had put together. He moved from one page to the next, sometimes checking others before going on to the next segment. Just from watching him use the interface you could tell he spent his whole life using this kind of technology.

"So that's why you were researching eezo." Sebastian stated as he finished reading through my work.

I nodded. "What do you think? I mean, can we do this?"

"I can't see how I can say no. Not with how much you've already put into it. Besides, I had intended to do that anyways since it would make getting supplies easier. I just hadn't planned on it for a while since it would take so much effort. It will take a lot of effort, Taylor. Are you sure about this?"

"You have no idea what it would mean to the people of the bay if we could reopen shipping. Chatika thinks it won't delay many of your projects by much more than three weeks and actually it will speed up several others by months."

"That is accurate. The only projects that will be significantly delayed will be 'Project: Sir Isaac Newton'. All time requirements for projects in the armaments file will be drastically reduced." Chatika confirmed.

I smiled at Sebastian's chuckle. "Faster weapons development eh? You really know how to sweeten a deal, Taylor."

I chuckled myself at his comment. I knew that would clinch this. "Thought you would like that. However, just because I don't mind you making these things doesn't mean I want you using them causally. This isn't the Alliance, Sebastian, and we're not fighting a war. I know there's going to come a time when we'd need to have the best weapons we can lay our hands on but that doesn't mean I'm okay using them in our day to day."

"Endbringers." I heard him mutter half under his breath.

I dry swallowed but nodded. I could practically feel the mood chilling the air at just mentioning the name of the greatest threats to all life on the planet. "There are villains that don't play by the rules, and yes, Endbringers. I know this isn't your planet, Sebastian, but it is mine. I don't know if we can make a difference in an Endbringer fight, and just thinking of being a part of one scares the hell out of me to be honest. But, I think we should try. Even if the difference we make is only a small one."

I watched Sebastian nod grimly. "I'm in, but I'm sure you figured I would be. I haven't done a lot of research on Endbringers yet but we can look into it after we get some eezo. Did you find anything we can use in your searches? Anything I missed?"

I sighed content with the change of topic. Even if it was only just a little less awkward than the prior one. "No, and that wasn't for lack of trying."

"I take it you know what that means then? It would kill two birds with one stone."

"Yes it would, though I still don't like it. I understand why you want to help your Fence…" I saw his eyebrow raise at my knowledge. I shrugged at his reaction "Blame Chatika, she's the one who showed me the file."

Sebastian shook his head looking bemused as I continued. "Anyways, I know you want to help him but what you have planned isn't the best way. We came up with a better one but it still involves you having access to the servers inside since the encryption is too advanced for an outside hack. Not without giving away someone did something. I spent some time trying to find a way out of it but if there's a way, I can't find it. I saw your search results and know you didn't have any luck earlier either when you were putting your plan together."

That was a surprise when I came across those files. When Sebastian suggested we rob a bank earlier, the first thought on the matter was he was just looking for a larger infusion of cash. I had no idea until I read his search results that he looked hard for another way without having to commit to more active villainy. "I'm sorry, but Chatika also showed me the logs from your cell and messenger accounts. So I know the other reason for you wanting to hit Bay Central."

Sebastian looked to the pages that still floated around us for a moment before he looked back to me. His facial expression neutral. "Fairs fair. Looks like we both walked on the others personal space a bit today. No harm done and as Tali used to say, 'No secrets between shipmates makes for a more understanding crew'. Things usually work out better that way. Less drama. So, what now?"

I breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't mad at me. I read those things before I realized what they were and I really felt bad about it. Not that there was anything privet in there to be exposed. It was just a privacy issue which I didn't like breaking but couldn't do anything about by then. I looked him in the eyes smiling slightly letting him know I appreciate his stance. "Set up a meet with Tattletale. Looks like we're robbing this bank after all."


	23. Camera One Interlude Annette 3

**Camera One Interlude, Annette 1.3**

"You robbed a bank?"

I smiled slightly at the tone Annette used in her question. It was amusing to me how her face was split between equal parts disbelieving, disapproving, while also laced with complete surprise. She shouldn't have been, but she still didn't have the full story yet.

"Yeah. Actually, it isn't as hard as you might think. Helps if your people have the right skill sets for it."

"You know Taylor, it worries me that is the first place you go with my question."

I laughed at her comment. The look on Annette's face showed she was trying hard not to be amused by my reaction.

She might not have been Mom, but I could see a lot of her in Annette. Including a sense of humor at the oddest things. Like my first bank robbery. As I looked across what had become 'our' table, I couldn't help but compare them.

Physically, they were identical. Same long brown hair. Identical blue eyes. Both were tall and thin. They smiled the same way. Even had the same laugh. At least, from my memories of Mom. The differences showed themselves in other areas.

Like, how Annette never met this world's version of Dad. He was here, working in Brockton Bay as a foreman for Estate Paper, according to my research. From what I was able to gather they both even attended the same college and everything. However, this worlds Annette did not connect to Lustrum because, until a few years ago, parahumans didn't exist. Crazy how that one event could change things so much.

Some of the other differences also seemed to stem from that divergence. Annette wasn't nearly as self-confident as Mom. Annette mentioned she followed the path Gram had laid out for her whereas Mom rebelled against it. Could all that really be from Lustrum's influence? Mom never said but I always wondered about her time when she was, for all purposes, a henchman for the insane feminist during her college days. Until Lustrum started got more violent and ended up getting the whole lot of them killed. Thank god Mom had met dad by that point and had gotten out.

I shook my head. Talking with Annette did that to me a lot. She might not have been Mom, but I honestly felt closer to Mom since Annette and I started talking. I actually felt like I understood the woman who I idolized for much of my younger life.

"I suppose you could blame Sebastian, but I don't think he would take that as a bad thing." I dryly replied to her statement. "Pretty sure he would take it as a complement."

Annette shook her head. "Is, well, are you two still friends? Did he come over with you?"

I smiled warmly as I always did when thinking of him. "Yes, but he's away on business at the moment."

"Nothing illegal I hope." Annette said in a tone that suggested there could be only one right answer.

My smile widened. "No. He just had to check on something."

"Well, that's reassuring at least. He sounds like a very incorrigible personality. Has he been away long?"

"A little over a week now."

"That puts his departure about when you first came to see me. So you waited to look me up until he was traveling then."

"It just worked out that way, to be honest."

"I see. I think," Annette stated awkwardly. "I shall powder my nose before you continue."

I couldn't tell if it was from my lack of explanation to what Sebastian was up too, or what she'd learned so far from my story. "Okay. I'll be here."

Annette nodded before walking toward the bathrooms.

For just a moment I wondered if Annette was going to come back. I don't think I would have blamed her if she didn't. Hell, I was honestly surprised she stuck around this long. Had I been in her place, I don't know if I would have come back to listen to the crazy kid she didn't have talk about this shit.

I took a drink of my tea. I sensed two people in the bathroom. Both had been there for only a few minutes. As my eyes followed Annette, I took a sense of things through the bugs I had placed strategically through the area. Or, I should say I consciously sensed it. My power didn't exactly have an off switch and often times worked in its own. Like a reflex. Being aware of all living things in my range was something of an old habit for me by this point.

Some people might have thought me paranoid that I kept an 'eye' on everything in my range, but it's not paranoia if people really are out to kill you. I clamped down on that thought before it could ruin the more relaxed mood talking with Annette put me in.

I knew before I actually felt for my connection that nothing worrisome was closer than seven blocks. I didn't have enough tagging people to give me a sense of what they were saying or to be easily noticed. Just a couple so I could trace movements. Not that I expected to be attacked, but I was quickly becoming a regular here, which means I had developed a pattern. That made finding me easier, even if the odds were damn near impossible that anyone would correctly guess which earth we were on.

I frowned rubbing my temple trying to stop the small throb of pain there. Just thinking of the multiverse always gave me a headache.

"Ma'am?"

I had felt the waiter approaching long before he spoke so it didn't surprise me when he was at my table. "Yes?"

The tall Hispanic waiter looked concerned as he addressed me. "Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you. It's fine. Just a headache." I assured him.

"If you are sure Ma'am." The waiter hesitantly stated before turning to leave.

"Miguel?"

The waiter stopped immediately before turning around with a sheepish grin on his face. As he did I took note that his name badge said he was Carlos. "Didn't' think you would recognize me. We only actually met a few times."

I ignored my old foot soldier's statement for the moment before I asked, "I take it that you, and the two others watching me, were sent by _him_?"

Miguel nodded. The smile on his face bloomed fully as I revealed that I knew about his accomplices. "Just until he gets back Ma'am."

I nodded. I figured as much when I recognized him earlier in the week. "Fine, But its rather redundant considering I have the surrounding seven blocks under my own 'watch'."

"You know the Commander."

"Yes. Yes I do." I sighed. Still, I couldn't help but be warmed by his concern. Annette leaving her stall drew me back into the present. By the time she started washing her hands I had managed to recenter myself. "That will be all, Gunny."

If he was surprised I recalled his old rank, he didn't show it except for a slight stiffening of his posture and the crisp reply. "Yes Ma'am."

_At least he didn't salute._

As I watched him walk toward the kitchens I couldn't help but smile. Miguel was one of the first normal to join my 'gang' back in the day. Back then he was undisciplined, rash, and prone to anger at the littlest things. Then again, losing your entire family to the Slaughter House Nine would do that to a guy.

If I was to be honest with myself, I didn't think much of him at the time but I remember Sebastian said he had potential. Then again, I had a lot on my plate. Back then, I worried he'd end up a loose cannon we couldn't afford. We already were having a hell of a time with the P.R.T. Sebastian thought differently and assured me he'd be fine. Seeing him again reminded me that I wasn't as alone as I'd been feeling.

Then again, maybe it was all this reliving the beginnings that was putting me in that headspace.

I looked up and out of my thoughts when Annette sat at the table. "Much better. Now, I believe you were going to tell me about this heist of yours."

"Robbery." I corrected glad she decided to stick around. I hope she didn't regret it later. "A heist is more along the lines of sneaking in and out. Preferably without leaving behind any evidence or being caught. The robbery was more a smash and grab operation."

"I'll correct my statement from earlier. It concerns me that you know the differences between those two things."

I smiled slightly. "Helps when you've done both."

Annette blinked. "My, but you did get around that scene didn't you?"

I winced. Even though I was getting more comfortable with Annette and could separate her from my Mom, there were moments when her tone of disapproval caught me by surprise. Made me wonder if Mom would have thought that, or reacted that way. "You could say that."

"I'm sorry Taylor," Annette apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you. I am just very surprised by all of this. I don't know what I expected when you started sharing, but a lot of what you've told me wasn't it."

I smiled a weakly. "It's okay." I took a sip of my drink before I continued. "I know all of this is really outside of your comfort zone. I've gathered you're a bit of a straight arrow."

At Annette's confirming nod I continued as I used my straw to stir my drink. "Back then, I was too in some ways. While breaking the law used to bother me, it was a minor thing compared to what we were trying to do."

"There must have been other options."

I shrugged my right shoulder. "Sure, we could have done nothing like everyone else was. Just let the city continue to fester and rot. They had years to do something about the bay and they never did. Alexandria, by herself, could have opened the shipping lanes back up in under a day. There were other local heroes who could have done it, but no one did. A person could be excused for thinking it was almost as if someone didn't want the bay to get better."

"I'm sure it wasn't like that."

My smile was bitter at her statement but I didn't reply. I knew the truth. If she stuck around to hear the whole thing, she would too. "Besides, Sebastian was a D.C. Sure, we could have spoofed them into thinking he was a tinker who just had a really good understanding of his powers, but we were just teenagers. No one was going to listen to us. Even in costume. We couldn't do it alone but I was determined we were going to do it."

"Which brings us to you working with, what did you call them, villains?"

I smiled at the distaste in Annette's expression. "Yeah, I felt the same way at first. However, without eezo all my plans wouldn't happen for over a year. So, Sebastian messaged Tattletale to meet…"

_XxXExiledXxX_

It took three days before we got a reply from Tattletale. I was supposed to be in school right now. Instead I was sitting quietly in an office chair Renegade found somewhere in the old factory we set up in. Not that I was complaining or anything. I think it said something about Winslow that I'd rather be here, possibly waiting to be attacked by a strange villain, than be attending my classes with the likes of Emma or Sophia.

Renegade sat to my right looking at his omni-tool which was sheathed around his arm. Eyes glued to the monitor he had up. I didn't need it thanks to my bugs. I knew where she was. I'd known since she stepped into my range. I was getting a lot better at using my bugs as a sort of living radar.

Tattletale had stopped at the corner of Twenty Third and Mariposa. Just down the road from us. I turned to Renegade when he answered the call Chatika rerouted to to him through his omni tool.

"You're early. Yeah, front doors open. Third floor, can't miss it. Right."

I snorted at his comment. Unless Tattletale was blind and deaf, there was no way she couldn't figure out where we were once she entered the building.

I remained quiet as he disconnected the call and went back to watching the monitor. Instead, I occupied myself with going over the plan for this meet. When Tattletale finally arrived on the third floor with us, I sat a little straighter. I really hoped this didn't go down like our last deal.

"Chatika, reroute camera drone to small screen in my visor." Renegade ordered finally allowing the omni tool to fade away.

The computer's reply sounded in my ear piece. "Acknowledged."

Tattletale hesitated as she looked in our direction. Knowing why, I opened a path through the bubble of flying insects I had swirling around us. The insect shell I had created was composed of hornets, wasps, bees, dragonflies, and pretty much any and every flying insect I could get my hands on. I had more than enough that no one would be able to see inside the insect vortex. The noise they created was more than enough to prevent anyone from being able to hear what we said as well. Which was part of our plan. With the old metal walkway unobstructed, she could easily see where we set up. When her eyes fell on me I gestured to the char that was placed opposite of me indicating she should sit.

As she cautiously approached I looked her over. She was in costume, which didn't surprise me in the least. I would have had our roles been reversed. Her costume was lavender with thick black bars running the length. It kinda reminded me of a jester's outfit, but not one of the foppish versions that were popularized on T.V. More stylized, and skin tight. Her blond hair was flowing behind her though she didn't wear a full face mask. Instead, a domino mask obscured part of her face flaring out to the sides of her head. The only other adornment to her outfit was the stylized eye she had stitched on her chest. Looked like an artist rendition of the all Seeing Eye of Ra. If that wasn't a clue into her power, aside from her name, I didn't know what would be.

And of course, I noticed the pistol at her hip. I didn't expect her to come unarmed so it wasn't exactly a surprise. As Tattletale entered into the 'safe' zone where we waited I saw her look around as if surprised. Probably noticed the noise dampening field Renegade set up earlier so we could talk inside the bug shell.

I reached to my own hip taking out my pistol slowly. I kept my eyes on Tattletale who stopped walking at my action. She turned to look back only to see the pathway close up by a living wall of bugs. I ejected the clip placing both the weapon and clip on the small table that sat between the chairs.

Renegade sat quietly as if he was part of the background to my right. He didn't disarm. Not that I expected him too.

I leaned back in my chair folding both my arms and legs trying to look relaxed. After a moment Tattletale nodded to herself before she walked forward again. "With your power, disarming doesn't mean much."

"No, it doesn't." I confirmed.

Tattletale returned my comment with a vulpine grin as she finally sat down. "I love this. It's all very dramatic. Secret meeting between factions. Displays of power meant to impress and intimidate. Nicely done by the way."

"Glad it gets your seal of approval." I stated dryly.

If anything, my comment only had her smiling wider before she turned to Renegade. "I thought we were going to be meeting with just the two of us."

I felt my eye twitch at the tone in her voice. When I noticed her eyes immediately dart to me for a moment I wanted to swear for reacting. For his part, Renegade shrugged one of his shoulders. "That's why I told you to suit up. Matriarch has a thing for being in costume when we're running an operation. Besides, this is her show now."

Tattletale turned back to me with a light chuckle. "Funny how that works out. You know, I've been trying to recruit Renegade for months. Then suddenly you show up and its 'Renegade and Matriarch, Action duo'. People still can't figure out if your vigilante heroes with a penchant for kleptomania, or villains testing the waters."

"Somehow, I think our next operation will answer that question. However, can you answer mine?"

"Pretty sure I can. S'up?" She asked playfully.

"Renegade was supposed to send you a file for a certain substance we are looking for. Would only be found in meteorite impact sites. Did you find it?"

"Yeah, that mysterious rock you sent me looking for. You know, from what I could tell it's not remarkable or valuable in anyway. I'm dead curious why you want it. "

"Hopefully that condition isn't terminal, though I hear it can be in some cases." I blandly stated.

Tattletale chuckled at my comeback. "Not even a little hint?"

"Sorry. That information only comes with membership."

If anything her smile got bigger. "You want to recruit _me_ when you know I'm already with the Undersiders? You know, poaching is bad form."

I ignored her jab as I answered her. "I have, projects you could say, that I am looking to complete. While I am not fond of the idea of being an active villain, I'm unwilling to overlook any avenue that could speed them up. I wouldn't say no to the idea, but I have a feeling you're committed so we'll move on. Did you find it?"

"Actually, I did find some. Your offer couldn't have come at a better time for us. Assuming we can work together?"

"I think we can. I have conditions."

"Such as?"

"I control the hostages and what is done with them. Non-negotiable."

"I'd have to talk to Grue about that before I can say yes or no, but off the top of my head, I don't see that as a problem. What else?"

"Aside from an even split in the take between groups, only an understanding that if this turns out like the last time we tried making a deal with villains, I guarantee the result will be the same."

"Not all of us are like that."

"I hope not. Renegade thinks you can be trusted. I'm willing to trust his judgment though I have, concerns, about some of your team mates. Fact is, you need this job done, and we want that rock enough that we're willing to help you do it. We'll do what is needed to guarantee we pull this off, except for killing or seriously hurting anyone. If that's not good enough, then we'll have to take our chances looking for what we want on our own."

"That part's fine with me. I doubt Grue will have an issue with it either. You wouldn't know this, but we're not that kind of villains. We're not looking to make big names for ourselves. Just in it for fun and profit."

"Then," I said as I stood up reopening a portal in the bug barrier. "I think we have a deal. How long before we get our shipment?"

"Friday. Its already on its way." Tattletale replied smugly as she got up as well. "We'd like to do this on Thursday. About noon."

I nodded. That was fine by me. The sooner we got this done, the better.


	24. Shoot to Thrill 1

**Shoot to Thrill Story Arc: 4.1**

I adjusted my grip on Sebastian's sides. We'd been driving nonstop for about half an hour since we gassed up on the outskirts of the city. The road steadily rose upward winding through the mountains. We'd left the main highway behind sometime back. Instead we traveled side roads to where ever it was Sebastian was taking me. The area we drove through was pretty in that naturey kinda way. Trees rose high on either side of the roadway allowing only the occasional glimpse of the lands beyond them. Reminded me of some of the roads we took on the way to Summer Camp. I turned slightly to look over my shoulder. From where we were I could see the tops of the trees we passed a bit go through the sliver offered by the cut roadway. Even still, I couldn't see the city anymore. I think this is the farthest I'd ever been from Brockton Bay, aside from school field trips.

As a slightly guilty knot tightened in my stomach. I turned my thoughts away from school. I hadn't been back since I left Friday. So far they hadn't contacted dad about it, but I knew that was only a matter of time. Thing was with what we had planned for tomorrow, and hopefully what we would get Friday if Tattletale didn't screw us over, I wouldn't have been any good there even if I didn't have to worry about Emma and company.

I'd deal with it later.

The day was nice. Weather was decent which made riding tandem a pleasure. Which reminded me of a stray thought I had this morning. The one thing I wasn't looking forward to: riding like this in bad weather. Maybe I should talk him into getting a car? What kind of car should we get though? I mean, if we used it for our cape stuff, it would have to be kinda big. The specs on the body armor he had in mind would definitely bulk us up some. A truck maybe? As I thought about it I decided against it: he'd just want to use it as an excuse to haul more stuff from the people we hit. We'd stick out like a sore thumb with the truck bed full of loot for everyone to see. Maybe a van then? At least then it would be concealed. Also would allow us to have something like a mobile operations post when we were scouting. We could sit inside and no one would know if we tinted the windows.

Maybe something a bit less work related. I wanted to giggle to myself trying to imagine Sebastian squeezed into a little Volkswagen Beetle. As funny as that was, I dismissed it quickly. It was a kinda an obvious choice for a bug cape. Bought, preferably, not stolen. Then again, the money he used to pay for it would be technically stolen so-

I sighed within my helmet. Sebastian's head turned slightly as our communication devices picked it up. From where I was holding him I gave him a pat hoping he would get the message and let it go. Which he did, thankfully as he signaled our next turn taking us off the roadway. In a lot of ways, I was not looking forward to tomorrow. It was one thing to say I was doing this for the good of the Bay, but inside my head it still felt all kinds of wrong.

Truth was, I was nervous. So nervous that I was having a really hard time thinking straight. When I wasn't bombarded by random thoughts on just about everything, I couldn't help but go over our plan again. And again, and again and….

I shook my head trying to clear it. Instead I brought myself back to the present just in time to notice the back tire slide slightly. Sebastian kept it in control well enough that I wasn't worried we'd wreck. I hadn't noticed we'd left the paved roadway for this dirt one till now. Maybe he could build something like his old Skyliner? A flying bike would be hella cool. Even in bad weather. Maybe he could build two?

I took a deep breath trying to recenter myself. I was so scatterbrained today. I tried once again to focus on the present. That was when I noticed that the road was closed ahead. A big gated fence cut it off. I felt my confusion mounting when I also noticed the jeep parked to the side of it with an older man sitting in it waiting.

_Maybe we should get a Jeep?_

As Sebastian slowed to a stop the guy climbed out of his vehicle.

"Keep your helmet on." Sebastian stated when I looked to him questioningly.

"Why? Whats going on?"

Instead of answering me Sebastian addressed the stranger. Stretching forward slightly and reaching across the handlebars to shake his hand. "Bruce, how's the wife?"

"Dun remind me laddie. She'll be the death of me yet, mark me words." Despite his statement, I couldn't help but smile at the joking tone in his thick accent as he took Sebastian's hand and shook it. "I expected you 'ere an hour ago. Traffic?"

Sebastian nodded as he pointed his thumb at me. "Small accident about twenty klicks back. She doesn't like it when I use my powers to get around things."

I jumped in my seat as my head whipped to Sebastian. What the hell was he doing? We weren't in costume!

Bruce laughed at my reaction. "You dinna tell her."

"Would have ruined the surprise."

"You got a mean one in you son." I felt Sebastian chuckle as Bruce turned to me. "No need to be concerned lass. I don't pry as long as you follow me rules."

I sat stunned not knowing what to do with Sebastian outing us to Bruce. He didn't comment more instead turning to Sebastian. "Speaking of, I expect me land to still be there come the morn."

"We'll refrain from using those aspects of our abilities." Sebastian stated seriously causing me to blink. What the hell was going on?

"Probably make a campfire," He continued. "But we'll make sure its well contained. Just looking for a quiet place to be who we are without having to hide it or worry someone might see us."

Bruce nodded. "That I can understand me boy and the fires fine er' long you keep an eye on it."

Sebastian helmet nodded. "Of course."

Bruce nodded before he turned away. "What the hell?" I voiced my thoughts while Bruce unlocked the gate in front of us.

Sebastian's head turned slightly to me. "You remember yesterday when we were at the library doing research through the old records on the 'Bay Barricade'?"

_Okay, that wasn't random._ "How does looking into what happened at the Graveyard apply to this?" I asked angrily waving my hand to Bruce.

"Well, while you were going through those old articles on that microfiche reader thing, I was trying to find that biography you mentioned. Which, I'll say it again, if you had let me hack the Libraries systems it would have saved us hours. Anyways, I overheard a couple of kids talking behind one of the stacks. This guy was talking to his girl about Bruce. Mentioned how it was the only place they could go where they could use their powers without worrying about getting 'recruited' by one of the parahuman factions in the city. Chatika didn't have any problems getting his comm channel and I set this up."

I narrowed my eyes at him but ignored his comment on hacking. In retrospect, probably would have made things easier but still. "What do you mean…" I started before I noticed the older man had walked back to us.

"You stay'in da night?" He asked us.

I started to say no when Sebastian beat me too it. "Not sure yet but can let ourselves out either way."

_What the hell did he have planned!?_

Bruce nodded as if that wasn't unusual. "That be fine lad. Save me the trip. Now, you two mind the rules I told you on the phone. My boundaries are clearly marked and you stay within it. The neighbors don't live close to the property lines so you can camp anywhere you like. If'n you need to be destructive or somthin, I have rock quarry up on the western side. Go blow up rocks, not me trees. Finally don't burn me lands to the ground.

"If you stay in the rules then me missus won't get upset. She dinna like me doing this as is and when she be unhappy, that means I don't get me quality time, if you understand. If that happens, _I _won't be happy. Mind you, I tend to shoot da things that make me unhappy."

Sebastian nodded chuckling. "Copy that."

Sebastian reached into his jacket taking out an envelope that I could only assume had money in it. A lot of money by the thickness of the envelope. Bruce took it putting it in his back pocket with only a sharp nod. He didn't even bother to count it before stepping to the side. Sebastian revved the bike before easing us forward.

"You know, the funny part is I talked to his wife yesterday before him. Nice woman who seemed to share his views. I'd wager the only way he'd be denied his quality time would be if she heard him talking about her like that. Even then I think she'd just do it to mess with him. They went back and forth for over fifteen minutes before I could even talk to Bruce about us coming here today."

"So, explain." I ignored his attempt to derail this conversation as we passed the gate and into the woods before us.

"Bruce has a sizable chunk of real estate. Its not good for much since its so rocky except forestry. He's been here since he immigrated in from Scotland some years back and spent his money expanding it for some reason. Guess he just doesn't like living close to other people. Pretty much owns the whole mountain now. At least, that's some of what Chatika found on him."

"Bruce is sympathetic to parahumans. Or I should say he's sympathetic to anyone whose discriminated against. He's been letting people into his lands for the last ten or so years on the sly so they can camp out, hike, or whatever without worry that if they use their powers they'll be discovered. Not every parahuman wants their power or have one that makes them some kind of badass. "

Says the man who won the lottery on powers. Even if he wasn't a parahuman. Instead of commenting on that I nodded asking, "Okay, I'm following so far…"

"Being a biotic, I'm familiar with the prejudice against parahumans. Its not that much different that what I faced. When I turned eighteen I had to register. That mean that any future schooling and work would know what I was. In the beginning biotics weren't that much different than parahumans. We had good ones and bad ones. Some used their powers to get rich, to hurt people, or for just selfish reasons. Others used their abilities to stop them if they happened to be around or did other stuff. This created a lot of resentment between people who wished they had those powers, and people who feared them. It wasn't uncommon for someone with biotics to be mobbed at random if they accidentally used their powers in public. Without an amp most couldn't control their abilities and it would just randomly rage through their emotions. Happened all the time. With my parents, you can imagine I was well educated on the subject."

"Well, that pretty much cut my options to nil unless I was willing to work for an alien run organization. Now, there's nothing wrong with that if you don't mind being discriminated against for being human. Now most human employers did not want an emotional time bomb working for them and amps were insanely expensive. You're talking major surgery as they connected eezo nodules throughout the body to the cranial implant. Then there was the cost of the amp. Hundred of thousands of credits on the civilian market. Well, you get the idea. There weren't many options for me except for the Alliance. I mean, sure I could have gone mercenary, you'd be surprised how easy that was in my time, but by then I was pretty set on going into the Alliance."

"Anyways, this situation parallels with the one in the city. You know this as well as I do. Once a person gets powers, they'll end up either in the Wards, or at the mercy of every other parahuman in the city unless they join one of them."

"That's not true. There's plenty of solo heroes and villains in the city. Several Rogues too."

"Yeah, but for how much longer? How long have they been at it? Like that guy in the news feed the other day, Zappa?"

I nodded. Zappa was one of the really low key solo heroes in the city. Or, he used to be. He went by Lightstrike now working with the new group, Starfire. Not exactly heroes, but not really villains either. More mercenary like Faultlines crew but with more morals. They didn't take contracts from most villains. Even if they were actually classed as such now.

"Zappa. According to Chatika he was solo for all of about two months. About two weeks ago he got into a tussle with some unpowered ABB guys. Then his hideout gets burned to the ground a week ago and the news feed said several civilians were hurt in the ruckus. When he reappears, hes Lightstrike and a part of a squad. Two months. That's all he got running solo."

"Rogues have been trying for years to make a living using their powers without ever getting entangled in the cape scene. Most do alright until something happens, like with the singer, Canary."

"I remember you telling me about that one a few days ago. Her trial started yesterday didn't it?" I asked.

Sebastian nodded. "Yeah, and it already doesn't look good. Her case is getting lots of news coverage. The focus is all on what happened when she accidentally used her power on her ex, and not on the fact he was stalking her for months. The poll on her has it that the trial will be over in less than a month and she'll end up in the Birdcage. I mean, accidental use of her power, with no priors, and she's likely to get the Cage just because her ex cut off his manhood and screwed himself?"

I winced at the imagery. "It is a pretty graphic crime, Sebastian."

Sebastian waved his hand dismissing my point. "They fear her abilities and what she could do with it if she wanted too. They're not asking themselves if she _would_, just focusing on that she _can_."

"Besides, Canary's not an isolated incident. There's been over a dozen capes who got the Cage when they lost control of their powers. In each case the parahuman had a power that was described by the public as terrifying, even if the people themselves wouldn't have hurt a fly on purpose."

"I've had Chatika do a search for similar incidents. The data shows that there hasn't been a rogue since parahumans started manifesting that's lasted more than a year before one of three things happen. They either get thrown in jail, killed, or join a faction for protection."

I blew out a breath at his reasoning. "I never thought about all that, but I can't say I'm surprised based on what I know in the Bay."

"Well, the thing is, the prejudice is there whether people see it or not. All you have to do is do an extranet search on it and you can see incidents from all over the planet. Protesters for and against them. Incidents of all manner and types. This sub culture that sprung around them as they polarized into hero or villain factions isn't helping any. The more I've looked into it, the more similarities I've seen with my own situation. Even the PRT is shaping up to be a harbinger of the Alliance. I wasn't a history buff but the foundation of the Alliance was required studies in Basic. All the trials and tribulations of its start were not that much different that the struggles of the PRT. Especially as they work to attain world wide unification. Keep in mind I liked the Alliance and what it stood for overall, but had I been around during its founding, I'm not so sure I would have enlisted."

I shook my head as I thought about what he was saying. "Alright. So how does this apply to Bruce?"

"Well, most of that is too big picture for what Bruce does. However, its one persons fight against that discrimination. He doesn't care if your normal, parahuman, hero, villain, Jane or Joe Guy. Anyone can camp out on his mountain as long as they follow the simple rules he has. Eat what you kill, don't damage the lands, and pick up after yourself. Common courtesy stuff."

"Bruce isn't exactly a secret in the Bay, but its not something openly talked about either. Most of his clientele are like the couple I learned of him from. Just people who want to go somewhere quiet to maybe practice their powers or even just be away from the drama of the city for a time. That's what we're doing here. You're red lining."

"It's not that bad." I mumbled. "Besides, you haven't exactly been taking it easy either. Chatika said you've had to charge that system of yours more than you usually do to keep up with your projects. Don't get me started on the hours you've been putting in your lab."

I heard Sebastian snort. "Didn't think you noticed that with the hours you've put in at the City Map. Or all your spiders that took over my workstation. However, it makes my point. We've worked hard tying up loose ends. There's nothing left to do before tomorrow to guarantee things go to script. If we don't rest, we're going to screw up and it will ruin what we've built. So, a diversion to get us back in the right headspace."

The road snaked along for only a little ways before it ended in a small clearing. After we parked the bike we spent the next several hours hiking, setting up a campsite, since he seemed determined to have one, and taking in the scenery. Neither of us brought up tomorrow or anything related to cape stuff. Instead, he talked about some of the planets he'd been to and places he'd seen. I had the impression that the Alliance used him as a sort of hatchet man, but his stories opened up a different side to what he did.

Not to say he didn't do that, because, he did. A lot of his missions where exactly that. However, there was a lot more to it than I originally thought.

At the moment he wasn't telling stories. He left a bit go to get our dinner. By get our dinner I mean he was hunting. Of all the things, it looked like he was hunting a rabbit. Then again, he already had bagged a quail and something else, so I guess we didn't need much more.

One thing the wilderness had in abundance, was bugs. So many of them that I didn't have to do anything special to know exactly what was going on within my full range. From where I stood on a rocky overlook I could tell exactly where he was and what he was doing. I could tell where the rabbit was. Which, funnily enough, was behind him. I smiled slightly. He was having too much fun being a big game hunter to spoil it. I'd let him figure it out.

As the last shaft of sunlight retreated behind the mountains behind me I activated my omni tool opening up a channel. "Chatika?"

"Yes Taylor?"

"There's no cell service up here, can you get a line to my house?"

"Of course. Acquiring Network Connection... Established. Encrypting line… Complete. Channel open."

I didn't even want to know what she just did. It was a safe bet I probably wouldn't like it. Instead I listened to the phone ringing a few times before I heard my dads voice. "Hebert Residence."

"Hi Dad."

"Taylor I was hoping you would call when I didn't see you when I got here. When will you be home?"

"About that…"

His sigh made me wince. "You're not coming home tonight, are you?"

"Um…"

"It's a school night Taylor. I would have thought at the very least you wouldn't let your school work slip over this young man. Your education is important; you know this."

"I know…" I half defended. I tried to ignore the guilty feeling in my stomach as I continued. "I already took care of that anyways."

It wasn't technically a lie since I did take care of it by not going. Still...

"Dad, I know you're not happy with what I'm doing, or with Sebastian. Just… let me have this? What I'm doing… Things are better now. After the last couple of years… Please don't fight me on this."

Dad's sighed. "Taylor, you know I love you. I don't think you understand exactly what you're getting into with this boy. I'm worried."

"You don't need to be. Sebastian wouldn't hurt me or do anything I wouldn't want."

"That's what I'm worried about. You're being careful? You're ah, taking the necessary precautions? You know what I'm talking about."

"Yeah, can we not bring that up again please? Seeing the doctor was bad enough." I turned when Sebastian entered our campsite. I noticed the fire he started earlier was still going strong. As he set about spitting his kills I raised the omni tool lowering the volume on it. "I should go dad. I love you."

"I love you too Taylor. I do expect to see you tomorrow when I get home." Dad stated firmly.

"Okay." I said hoping I wasn't lying to him. Then again, if everything fell apart and we got caught, at least I'd get to call him before they locked me up.

I disconnected the call turning myself away from thoughts of my dad or the possibility of going to jail. Instead I decided to tease Sebastian. "Took you long enough. I wouldn't have thought a rabbit would have been such a challenge for the great Commander Shepard."

He looked up from the fire smiling. "He was very wily with an impressive knowledge of the terrain. I still got him."

I snorted as I took a seat on one of the logs we were using for chairs. "After fifteen minutes."

"Well, as I said he had the home field advantage as well as being small. If I was using mass accelerated rounds to cut through his cover, there wouldn't have been anything left of him to eat. My pride wasn't worth the loss to our dinner."

"At least you have your priorities straight."

Sebastian chuckled as he went about sprinkling seasonings on the roasting meat. At this hour our daylight was fading fast. By the time he managed to get the water boiling in the small pot he set up, we were shrouded in a comfortable darkness that was only broken by the campfire and the fireflies that surrounded us.

One of the nice things about camping with a power like mine was we didn't have to worry about mosquitoes or anything like that. My power kept them all away which made this the most enjoyable camping experience I had ever had. As he cooked I toyed with the fireflies having them fly around us in little formations or in different patterns to Sebastian's and my amusement.

"You're so good at that." I commented pointing to the pot. The stew he was making smelled wonderful.

"Used to go camping all the time on Mindoir. Not so much afterward though there was a couple of times we got away with it."

"In your off time or during missions?"

"Missions. I never did take much leave. Never saw much point in it with all the work there was to do."

"And you talk about me redlining."

Sebastian smiled at my jab before he nodded to my point. "I think the last time I did something like this was during the Armstrong Campaign."

"You haven't mentioned that one before. What happened?"

"It was during our hunt for Saren. Several ships disappeared in the Armstrong cluster so Admiral Hackett asked us to investigate. Scans revealed there was a geth presence."

"The first two were pretty easy. Just simple sweep and clears. Nothing our Mako couldn't handle. The third planet we found geth on though proved to be a lot harder."

"They had set up a defensive stronghold in this valley. AA turrets, defensive works, the whole deal. Probably the first base they set up. The only easy ground entrance to the base was through this long pass which was very defensible since it funneled most attackers right into the defensive guns. They even had a Geth Dropship hovering over the thing."

"So, not willing to get my ass shot off going in the front, I came up with a different plan. Great thing about those old Makos, they could climb for days if you knew how to handle one. So, I took us mountain climbing. Took a long time to get there and I think everyone was pretty much done with the mission by the time we did. Once in position we had the element of surprise and the high ground. Then we struck."

"We managed to drive off the Dropship easily enough. Garrus was on the main cannon while Ash had the gattling. Between them they managed to do a lot of damage in a short amount of time. However, as it took off it gave one last parting shot that I wasn't able to avoid. Hell, half the reason I picked that spot was because it was so hard to get a clean shot on us, but it made evasive maneuvers equally hard to pull off. That shot pretty much sunk us."

"Ripped right through our barriers and fried half our systems. The Mako stalled for a second which allowed rocket fire from the base to do its work against our hull. With all the damage we retreated putting as much of the mountain between us and them as we could."

"The Geth had set jamming signals all through the area so we couldn't contact the Normandy. The only good bit of luck we had was we'd just resupplied at the Citadel so we did have plenty of omni-gel and a few other parts. It took Liara, Tali, Garrus, Kaidan, and me about five hours to repair everything. Wrex went hunting while Ash kept watch on the geth to make sure they didn't try sneaking up on us. By the time we just about got things up and running night had fallen. Wrex made a fire to cook whatever alien thing he killed for his dinner."

"Seemed like a good idea. The area was a lot like this without trees. Two of the moons were slivers in the sky, stars were bright. You could clearly see the meteor shower raining through the night. We took a few moments to break out some rations, eat by the fire. We joked, laughed, teased each other. It was a nice break from all the repairs."

I was smiling thinking about being on a different world and doing something like this. "Did you get any of Wrex's kill?"

Sebastian snorted. "Wrex doesn't share his food easy. I still can't figure how where he put all that. Whatever it was he killed was about the size of a cow yet he managed to eat it all. Bones too."

"Lovely image."

"At least he cooked it that time. He didn't always do that." Sebastian informed me with a wry smile.

I chuckled. "All the violence aside, that sounds so cool. Being on other worlds. Seeing completely alien places. Traveling the stars like that."

Sebastian nodded slowly clearly thinking about something. "I guess I can see your point. For me it was all just common stuff. Interstellar travel was pretty normal. Like you taking the bus to the Boardwalk, it wasn't anything for anyone to take a transit to another world or any of a host of stations."

I leaned forward using my arm to prop my head while I watched the quail roast. "I would love to do something like that. Before Mom died, we used to take family trips to different places. Never the same ones twice. Dad didn't like to travel, but Mom did. Every summer I'd get to pick a camp I wanted to go to, and when I got back Mom would have a trip planned somewhere. She'd never tells us until the day we left, but we did it every summer as far back as I could remember."

I smiled remembering those days. "Dad would drive with Mom giving directions. Every year the trips got further away from Brockton Bay. The year she died I think we were going to actually leave the state. We never took another trip after."

"I'm sorry to hear that…"

I looked from the quail to Sebastian. His face was highlighted by the campfire. I didn't understand the slight frown on his face but I kept quiet letting him gather his thoughts.

"I've been to a lot of places. Travel wasn't just part of a marines life, it was most of it. I never really thought about the places I'd been to except for what tactical uses the terrain could offer or what gear we'd need to survive there. Some places stand out, like the Citadel, Ilium, or Omega, but I think that had more to do with the fact I happened to put in port there a lot in the last few years during the war. Usually seeing strange and exotic people or places took a back seat to being there to kill them. Or blow them up."

I nodded slightly not really understanding what he was getting at. I was pretty aware of what his old career was like. I stayed quiet as he continued. "If you wanted, I… uh, could show you some of them."

I blinked. "I don't understand. Show me?"

My puzzlement grew with the expression on his face. I'd seen him frustrated, calm, joking, even slightly angry, but I have never seen him flustered till now. Sebastian actually looked uncomfortable with whatever he was thinking about.

Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck as he explained. "Well, there's this Asari technique I learned, guess it was more than a year ago now. Well, its more of a discipline actually. Its called the 'Arket Surialia'. Translates roughly as 'The Melding'."

"Okay..."

"Not sure if I told you this before but the Asari are all biotics in addition to being an all female species. The Arket Surialia is a biotic discipline where an Asari joins her mind to another. Actually mostly used so they can reproduce but…"

I jumped slightly before sitting strait. "Wait, are you suggesting we have _mind _sex!?" I asked stunned.

It's funny, when those random moments got the best of me, and I thought about being with a guy or being propositioned, I somehow didn't think it would be like this.

Sebastian winced before holding up his hands. "Look, I'm probably messing this up but that's what the asari use it for. Though not always. I'll grant you that's what _I_ was learning it for, but there are several different applications for it."

I giggled like an idiot at the situation. This day was nothing like I expected it would be when I woke up this morning. "Why did you even learn this in the first place?"

"For Tali." He explained deflating slightly. "We planned to settle down on Rannoch after the war. I talked Liara into teaching it to me so when Tali was ready, we could have children. It was going to be a surprise... Anyways, I figured it would have been years down the road still, but it also would allow us to er, well, be _close_ without her risking her health so much. By most standards quarians have a really low immune system. Every time we were together she risked dying if we didn't take the right precautions."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." I said trying to get a lid on my emotions. Now I understood why he looked so uncomfortable a minute ago. "Um, okay but what does that have to do with us now?"

"Its alright. See, I've always had an uncommon grasp of my biotics. Early in my career when I was still new to using them I found anytime I was exposed to a new biotic application I could learn it. Most times on my own. When you break it down, the Melding is just another application of mass effect fields through dark energy manipulation. Not too dissimilar to how Prothians use it. Just more specialized. I figured I had a shot a learning how to duplicate it. So I went to the only asari on the crew who I was close enough too to ask. Liara."

"Well, the deal I struck with Liara was that if she taught me the Melding, I'd give her the Prothan Cypher I had locked in my head. You don't know Liara, but she had a thing for the Protheans. Before she became the Shadow Broker she had dedicated most of her life to learning about them. The chance to get the keys to the city, as it were, was too much for her. She agreed. The hardest part of the Melding is being able to sync our nervous systems. The last path of the discipline she gave me some advice on, but we never went that far."

"Anyways, sharing memories isn't like watching a vid, its the full experience. I can share some of my memories with you and you can see it as if you were actually there. It's the closest thing I can come up with since we can't just hop on a transit shuttle and go."

I nodded my understanding before asking an important question. I was honestly surprised I manged to get it out through my blush without stuttering like an idiot. "You can do this without getting me pregnant, right?"

My question made Sebastian laugh. "Yes, you won't get pregnant. I'm not suggesting sex, Taylor. I'm offering to share some of my memories. Pregnancy only happens if I push the bond to its full extent. It's not something you can do on accident."

I nodded again not really knowing how to feel about all this. Did I want to let him into my head? Did I want to get that deeply into his? This whole thing sounded like such an intimate thing and he was just offering it like he was suggesting we watch a movie. I mean, its not like we were dating or anything. Still, despite all that, I sat thinking deeply about it. I'd be a liar if I didn't say it wasn't a horribly tempting offer.

"Wont this be kind of painful for you? I mean, reliving some of your past like this?" I asked.

Sebastian's smile was bittersweet. "In a way, my situation isn't much different than Javik's and his memory shard. He was a man out of time himself."

He tapped the side of his head. "Locked in here is the only evidence that my friends existed. I'm the only one who remembers them or their sacrifices. I wouldn't offer you this if I thought you wouldn't appreciate those things, Taylor. If anything was to happen to me, who would remember them? Their courage, loyalty, or the pain we shared as we fought against the odds? Who would know what humanity could be if they just pulled their heads out of their ass? Hell, I don't even know if the relays are even in this dimension. If there not, who's to say the races I remember even evolved at all? If they did not, who's going to remember them then when I'm gone? Sharing some of that with you so you can see the places I've been and kinda get to meet some of the people I knew might not be the tribute they deserve, but I think they'd be happy not being forgotten."

Sebastian handed me a bowl of the stew he cooked while I mulled over what he said. I'd long finished it before I looked back up. He was still sitting across from me looking at the fire lost in his own thoughts when I finally spoke. "Alright."

He looked up at me in surprise. I guess I'd been thinking longer than it felt like. I could see it took him a moment to realize what I was saying but when he did he smiled. "What would you like to see? Anything in particular?"

I thought about it for a moment. "How about the first time you visited the Citadel? It comes up a lot when you talk about your past. It would be nice to have a frame of reference."

"Alright."

I watched as Sebastian closed his eyes. He appeared to be concentrating on something fiercely until he opened them back up again a moment later. When he did, his eyes were like black marbles in his head. It was without a doubt the most freakish thing I'd seen him do with his powers. I couldn't tell by looking but I could feel him looking directly into my eyes.

I felt my breathing pick up. His body was slightly shrouded in his power and I could feel a slight pressure in my head. Nothing seemed to exist outside of the light given by our camp fire.

"Tell me when you're ready."

"Okay, I'm ready."

I started to feel the physical world slipping away from me as I looked into Sebastian's black eyes. I don't think I could describe it any other way even if it had lasted longer than the moment I had to feel it.

"Relax, Taylor, and _Embrace Eternity_."

*****Authors Note:**

Well, the first thing to mention, is that Exiled is officially complete, just not posted since I'm still working on edits, A sequel has started, called Gatecrash, which I'll post here on FF once I get Exiled posted with Edits. I'm actually taking a break from my writing and revisiting Exiled, so hopefully updates will be plentiful, and pretty often. As always, I would like to hear what the readership thinks of the story as it advances, so please, make use of the review button and let me know. Every comment or review helps me grow as a writer, not to mention I invested a year of my life writing this piece, gratis, a bit of commentary would make my day.

'Arket Surialia' or the Bonding. Yeah, I know that's not how asari bonding works, I've had this argument many times with many different readers. All I will say, is that it works that way for Sebastian. There are reasons why, which don't even get highlighted for some time.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	25. Shoot to Thrill 2

**Shoot to Thrill Story Arc: 4.2**

"Think of it as a game." Tattletale said.

I snorted but didn't comment as she continued. I shouldn't have cursed us yesterday thinking about driving in bad weather. The rain came down in a steady downpour against the van we were in surrounding us not only in a cascade of water, but the steady unceasing sound if its impact against our vehicle. In addition to that, noonday traffic had completely stalled us out to the point Tattletale had not only parked, but shut it off. If the rain didn't let up, it was going to complicate things.

Our current set up had me riding with Tattletale while Renegade was with the others in the van behind us. Tattletale explained it as not quite a hostage exchange, but that was the general idea when different gangs worked together. Guaranteed neither side pulled anything since their people in the other party would be vulnerable and pay the price if anyone did.

"Like a high stakes game of Cops and Robbers."

"I think we're a little past the school yard version of that, don't you? Considering what we're here to do, I think this qualifies as the real thing."

"Seriously, hear me out here." She countered. "I mean, full adults in costume? Running around using stupid codenames beating the shit out of each other using fun-as-fuck powers and toys? It's stupid, and we know it's ridiculous but no one says anything. But it's _fun_, and at the end of the day capes like you and me, we're getting our thrills and just blowing off steam you know?"

"I don't think that applies to every cape out there." I said wryly. As I looked through the water running down the window beside me I hoped the traffic let up soon.

"Well, no it doesn't. There's people out there like the crazies who take it too far. People so fucked up in the head that if there's no one to keep them in line they're only one step away from being a monster. Lung, Heartbreaker, even Bitch." she paused a moment. "Renegade."

I frowned but didn't comment. Before yesterday, I would have half agreed with her about Renegade. After he shared a few memories with me, I couldn't. Was he dangerous? Fuck yes he was. Was he a monster that needed a collar? No. I wasn't sure how to class him anymore but I knew one thing. He lived his life by his own code. The fact that his code didn't exactly coincide with the law didn't matter to him. Only that his actions saved lives and helped people did. It was something that I didn't understand before last night but was starting too now.

"So then there's the monsters. Really dangerous motherfuckers. If you look at Nilbog or The Slaughterhouse Nine you see these guys that can barely be described as human anymore. Just fucking meat grinders who kill for fun. But going back to what I was saying a moment ago, ninety nine percent of the cape stuff that goes on, it's the first group. This applies to non capes too.

"The way I see it a city with a legit superhero group is like having a local sports team. Everyone loves rooting for the home team. There's boosts to city revenues from merchandising or tourism. Great media to keep Jonny Six-Pack from thinking about water shortages, unemployment, or whatever. All that stuff local government loves, but what good is any of that if there's no competition? Why do you think villains like Uber and Leet are still around and not in the Birdcage? They don't even try to keep them locked up. They always manage to get a regular cell and end up breaking out to start the game again. Sure, there's the three strikes law and eventually they'll get the Cage but really, it all boils down to the Game."

I made a noncommittal noise as I restlessly tapped my fingers on the sidearm strapped to my thigh. Renegade had replaced the old one with one of his Strikers. The weight difference was noticeable enough that I was very aware of what I was carrying. Though not nearly as noticeable as the rifle compacted on my back.

One thing was for certain. I was not walking into this like I did with Lung. If something happened to make my bugs unsuitable to the situation, I had options.

"Really, at the end of the day we're not doing much. Some property damage and a bit of theft. Nothing that insurance won't fix. Bystanders get a cool story to tell their coworkers and feel like they had an adventure. Get a bit of spice to their humdrum lives. Compared to the monsters out there, the city is better off with us in play. Besides, there's not much difference between the so called heroes and us. The only real difference is we took the path of higher risk, higher reward."

I felt a slight smile on my face as I thought over her words. Renegade might have agreed with her but I couldn't say I was one hundred percent behind it. I had my own agenda here. Maybe I would see things differently after being active awhile.

"Anyways," Tattletale continued seemingly unphased by my lack of comment. "The real evidence to my theory is when a cape crosses the unwritten rules. You see it now and then. A cape finds out his enemy's secret identity and hits them at home or goes after their family. Or a cape sees his downed opponent and feels a bit lusty. Shit like that doesn't fly. Word gets out and enemies call a truce. People start calling in or giving favors. Suddenly you have heroes and villains working together to bring the asshole down. All to protect the status quo, keeping the game afloat."

"Like with Endbringers."

Tattletale twitched. "Yeah, like that…"

I couldn't blame her for her reaction. They didn't make the most enjoyable topic. Traffic had finally started to pick up and Tattletale started the van back up and put it into gear. I checked my omni-tool to note the time and nodding to myself. So far, we were still within the operational window we established.

As I looked back up I also activated another new feature. Renegade had taken out the lenses of my old swim goggles and replaced them. Now you couldn't see my eyes, instead only bright gold disks. However, the big difference for me was the H.U.D I was still trying to get used to. I had a muted tactical readout floating in front of me. It was so weird, to have words, barrier status bars, and the small com window floating apparently out there in front of me like I could touch its semi transparent existence. It was nowhere near as detailed as the set up he used or wanted me to use. I think if I had not seen it through his eyes, from his memories, this would have been a lot more disorienting than it currently was. As it was, this dumbed down version was about all I think I could handle.

The other improvement was my vision had no blind spots anymore. It was like I wasn't wearing a mask and was wearing contacts. It was thanks to the upgrade that I caught Tattletale's eyes look to my arm when I checked the time.

"Fucking tinkers…" she muttered.

I smiled slightly. "I used to think that until I had one of my own. He has his moments though when I'll still say something like that."

Tattletale chuckled at my comment before pointing to our left.

I turned to look, feeling my heartbeat start racing. The Brockton Bay Central Bank. The words were engraved in marble over the lavish great doors in front of it. They sat high up with a set of wide ascending stairs, sort of like the courthouse. Several huge stone statues of horsemen flanked them giving the the six story building a castle feel.

"In twenty minutes we're going to be walking out of there tens of thousands of dollars richer with the rush of victory in pumping through our veins." Tattletale barely whispered.

I narrowed my eyes looking at the building. This was it. This was my last chance to turn back and call this whole thing off. It would mean a long delay to my plans. No bank job, no eezo. That meant no fix to the bay, no shipping, no ferry. No jobs for the masses of unemployed and no alternative for them working directly with villains...

"Lets go rob this bank." I said with far more confidence than I felt. As Tattletale signed our turn into the alley next to the building, I couldn't help but noticed the vulpine grin on her face.

"Fuck yeah, now you're talking."

She pulled smoothly into the alley and parked. By the time we had gotten out and walked to the back the others had parked and exited their own van.

I stopped in my tracks. Grue's power was about him making him look like a living shadow. I could barely see it, but through the obstruction over his face I could just see what looked like a human skull where his face would be. I couldn't deny it made him very intimidating.

The one they called Regent was dressed like a renaissance fair reject, to put it nicely. A cornet around his head, a scepter with a little crown at the top twirling in his hand. His shirt was opened up at the front like he was getting ready to pose for the cover of a bad romance novel. I suppose the effect would have been better had he worked out but he was either too young to have properly developed his physique, or just didn't care. Either way, he looked more foppish than anything.

Bitch was there as well, a cheap dime store plastic rottweiler mask on her face. She didn't really have a costume. Just ripped and faded jeans and fur collar jacket that had sort of become her trademark. I knew the most about her thanks to the Wiki. Her dogs weren't as big as it said they could be, but big enough that I think most people would have thought them demon mutts that escaped from some dark corner of hell. Bone spikes jutted from their bodies and joints with muscles that rippled along their mass. It didn't help they were the size of a small pony. I really hoped she had the control over them Tattletale said she did.

However, I'd seen them earlier when we met up so that didn't surprise me as much as Renegade did. He was walking toward me wearing his usual helmet and jeans but his jacket and armored plates were gone. Instead he was only wearing a t shirt. I felt my eye twitch when I recognized which one he decided to wear today.

As Tattletale stepped next to me I saw her smile bloom fully, but she did not comment immediately so I did. "Renegade? Where's your costume?"

Without breaking stride he jerked his thumb at Grue. "Darkness boy got his balls in a twist over the fact our costumes were similar. So in the interest of being cooperative, I got rid of mine."

Renegade's comment spawned an outburst from Regent that made me think he'd been laughing about this for a while.

"Look, all I said was that you should have changed yours up before today. This was my look long before you started out. It's a respect thing." Grue's voice had a weird echoing tone that did nothing to disguise his frustration. However, his retort did nothing to curb Regent's laughter.

I turned to Tattletale to see she had turned to me. I slightly nodded toward Grue. "Is he usually this sensitive?"

Tattletale looked torn between answering and erupting in her own laughter. "No comment."

As Renegade passed us he snorted. A quick tug of the back doors of the van Tattletale and I used opened them up. My bugs spilled from it in a mass wave over him and the floor. According to Tattletale, there was three hundred and fifty cubic feet in the back of the van. I had them packed cheek to jowl in there with only just enough room so as not to hurt each other or to spill into the front seat with us.

I'll say this: three hundred and fifty cubic feet could store a _lot _of bugs. Especially when they cooperated the way mine did.

Grue jumped backward which made me chuckle at the image of the hardcore villain spooked by a bunch of bugs. Afterwards, I directed the bugs into bank's interior. Renegade paid them no mind as if getting drowned in a wave of insects was no big thing. Rather, he started walking around me heading deeper into the alley.

"You want to get more bugs? Not sure you brought enough." Grue asked.

"I already have more." I informed him, ignoring his surly tone. He wasn't going to embarrass me by making me think I was being too prepared. "Fliers are on the roof with ground bugs of their own. They're already making their way inside."

Driving through the city had given me the opportunity to gather this swarm. More importantly, I had opportunity to be picky. When I fought Lung I had only what was available in my range. During the trade I found I could use my fliers to ferry the smaller ones who couldn't fly, but I was still limited to what was on hand.

This time, not so much. I carefully picked the ones I wanted. Centipedes, beetles, wasps, bees, hornets, cockroaches, black and horseflies. All big enough to sting when they bit and very fast and durable. I not only had this swarm but I was already augmenting them with what was currently in my range. By the time they all gathered together and we started this, my swarm would be massive.

If everything went the way I figured it would, I'd need it.

Grue shook his head before he started barking orders. "Tattletale, the door. Regent, Bitch, keep watch. Matriarch, with me. Let's move."

I raised my eyebrow within my mask but didn't comment.

"The fire exit at the back is protected by a digital passkey," Tattletale explained as we made our way in that direction. "Every employee has the number to get in if they need to, but that rarely happens because opening the door sets off a bunch of alarms. That password is easy. The interesting thing that the employees don't even know is that the capes and SWAT teams have a special code they can put in if they need to make a quiet entrance with no alarms going off. To do _that_, you punch in the regular code, three-seven-one, but you hold the one down, then press the number sign and the asterisk keys down at the same time…"

The sound of shearing metal cut off whatever else she was going to say. As we came around the side of the van we had a perfect view of Renegade. His arm was encased in his omni tool except for the flash forged blade that was extended a foot and a half from it. It was that eye catching bit of tech that caught everyone's attention as he extracted it from the door. He casually waved his hand causing the door to swing open, revealing he cut the door so the door knob was separated from the rest of it. From where I was I could clearly see the slightly glowing remains slowly cooling against the door frame.

As the omni-blade retracted and vanished, he turned slightly to face me. "Time?"

I activated my Omni-tool. "Three point two seconds."

"Damn."

"What the fuck?!" Grue half shouted. "The goddamn alarms are going to go off now!"

Except it was silent. I turned to Grue. "We disabled the alarms already. Renegade hacked the security company's mainframe this morning and set the banks systems to upload a very large and unnecessary update. The entire system's down as it tries to reset to the new software."

Renegad chuckled as I continued. "The phones and cameras still work, so I suggest we get things moving before the heroes get here."

Smiling widely Tattletale linked her arm in mine, moving us forward and leaving her dumbfounded compatriots to follow. "Why is Renegade upset?"

"He was trying to beat my time." I replied. At Tattletales questioning look I half shrugged. "What? It's not my fault the door was unlocked when it was my turn."

I removed my arm from Tattletale as she started laughing. As I looked to the icon on my H.U.D., activating the pupil response program I was still getting used to, I couldn't help but think about the villain beside me. I sort of liked Tattletale. So far she had gone out of her way to make nice and that was something I appreciated a lot. I had expected Grue's attitude being the prevalent one through the whole group, but she seemed different. Maybe it was more to do with that I spent more time with her than the others. Either way, had things been different, I could have seen us becoming friends.

I shook that introspection off. That kind of thing wasn't going to help us get this job done. I reached behind me for the butt of the unpacking rifle. I easily pulled it over my shoulder, handing it to Renegade before it had even finished configuring. I ignored the look that Grue directed at the still chuckling Tattletale. So far everything was going as planned and I wanted to keep it that way.

For his part, Renegade flipped the safety off but said nothing. Instead he activated his tech armor with me only a step behind. "Come on, by now the guards have spotted us and already called 911. We have five minutes to secure the lobby. Grue, Regent, pick up the people on our way through. I'll tell you which rooms they're hiding in. We'll add them to other hostages when we get there."

"If everything goes the way Renegade and I think it will, you'll have maybe ten minutes to do your thing before the Wards show up. That is, if Tattletale's intel on the Protectorate is right."

"It is." She replied. Her voice was still heavy with her amusement and seemingly unphased by my tone.

"Anything else Mistress?" Regent half snarked, half joked.

"I'll tell you when you need to know." I absentmindedly said to him. My mind had already moved on the next part of the script. The one part I was not looking forward to playing but couldn't see any way around.

Thanks to my bugs I knew where every single bank employee was in the building. That was the first thing I did when the bank fell into my range, tag every living thing inside. As we walked through the hallway I pointed out which offices had people in them. Despite the slightly hostile stance Grue was taking with me talking over he still did as I asked. Between him and Regent we collected three people on our way to the lobby. Only one had tried to call out or resist in any way. I was pretty sure it was Regent doing it but he never got a chance too. When he opened his mouth to yell, he suddenly started coughing. Regent walked in casually before grabbing him by his shirt collar. When the man tried to resist he ended up on the ground through no effort by any of us. Well, no visible effort.

The fight pretty much went out of him at that point.

From where I stood, I watched him turn to look at one of the other bank employees we grabbed. I swallowed thickly pushing down the knot in my stomach at the scared and defeated looks on their faces.

The last few rooms didn't have anyone, thankfully. Once we approached the archway to the lobby I nodded to Grue. In turn he directed his darkness inward creating a wall around those inside.

"Renegade."

He nodded stepping inside. The barrel of the rifle directed upward as he pulled the trigger. The loud buzzsaw cadence of the weapon caused several people to scream, but most to hit the ground in order to unnecessarily avoid getting shot.

"Tonight's presentation is brought to you by Random Acts of Violence." Renegade jovially spoke to the room. Since he wasn't shooting anymore, he had their complete attention. "If everyone would please take their seats, we'd be more than happy to get the show started."

As I walked into the room I heard a few muffled sobs coming from the crowd. Grue's power clung to the doors and windows which only left the overheads for lighting. It felt like my heart was going to beat itself through my ribcage as I addressed my hostages.

"Fifteen minutes. That is how long we plan to be here. Stay where we put you, stay quiet, and do as you are told and you will not be harmed." As I looked through the crowd I took in their terrified expressions and swallowed thickly, glad my voice wasn't betraying me.

"Now, if anyone is thinking of being a hero there is a very good reason not to. If the gun wielding man to my right is not enough then perhaps this will be. This," I stated holding up my hand. One of my spiders dangled along its silk string from my finger. "Is a Black Widow Spider and she, and her hundred sisters, are completely under my control. They are also on each and every one of you. Normally a single bite from one of these is enough to kill a full grown adult. Or put one into a coma. You move, talk, try to use your cell, kill the spiders on you, do anything but what we expressly allow, and I will know immediately and have them bite you _several _times."

I let that sink in a moment. If they were scared before, my hostages were terrified now. As I scanned the crowd I saw a grown man, maybe thirty-ish shaking as a tear rolled down his cheek. I saw a couple of mothers clutching their children close. A girl with freckles, couldn't have been much older than me, stared at me with loathing.

One of the biggest problems Renegade saw in the plan had to do with the hostages and keeping them contained. Keeping them from trying something that got the rest hurt or killed. This was my answer to that. With my spiders I effectively had a gun trained on each of them. As horrible as this was, I had to make sure that some foolhardy schmuck didn't do something that spun this situation out of our control. If I had to terrorize them to keep them from harm's way, then that was what I was going to do.

As I looked each one of my hostages in the eye that justification felt pretty thin.

"I am glad everyone understands the situation. Grue, you're up."

The shadowy figure nodded before waving Regent and Bitch to follow him. Bitche's dogs growled to the hostages as they passed but didn't do anything overt. Thankfully, none of them tried to bolt or made a move that would have forced me to act.

All three of them moved to the vault which Tattletale unlocked easily. From there Grue took a crowbar he had and started ripping open the safe deposit boxes. As he did Regent and Bitch traded off dumping the contents into one of several bags they brought with them.

I kept my eyes on the civilians a moment longer before I followed the others. Tattletale had already seated herself behind one of the computers and was typing fiercely. Renegade took the one next to her after placing the rifle on the counter top. I couldn't hear what they were saying but I knew they were hacking the system.

As I moved around the counters so I could see the surveillance feed, I couldn't help but remember something I had read a long time ago. 'The road to hell was paved with good intentions.'

I was definitely putting in my share of cobblestones today.

*****Authors Note:**

I don't give my beta's enough love. So, Special thanks to Materia Blade, MarkerIV, Suryn, and TheBSdude for their help in this story. Special guest, Landcollector, who caught alot of mistakes that slipped through.


	26. Shoot to Thrill 3

**Shoot to Thrill Story Arc: 4.3**

Time was a funny thing. Or, I should say the perception of time since time itself was traditionally constant. Well, I guess that kinda also depended on the parahuman in question.

For me, when I woke up this morning I was restless and time seemed to move at a glacial pace as our time to meet with the Undersiders drew closer. The drive from the outskirts to where Renegade stashed our boat, passed in a flash. Once we were back at his place, I immediately geared up. Double checking and triple checking that I had everything. I ended up being ready long before I needed to be and spent most the time left going over every aspect of the plan again at the City Map. Then, once we actually set out everything seemed to pass in a second until we were about five minutes away from the bank. There it slowed down again. A quick speed up as we made our way to the lobby to now, where time crawled agonizingly slow again.

It was enough to give a person whiplash. Or a migraine. I reached up to rub my temple before I remembered I was wearing my mask.

I sighed as I continued to keep most of my attention on the monitors. It was thanks to Tattletale and Renegade that I had access to the entire set up, not that I didn't expect them to get it. I figure Renegade could have done it by himself but together they were burning through the bank's firewalls like they did not exist.

Through the surveillance cameras I had a full view of the exterior of the bank. As added coverage I had a select group of bugs in the same locations as well as in the blind spots between camera angles. It took a while to get them all just right. I wasn't sure if it was because I was stressed over this robbery or if I was trying to micromanage too many bugs but their responses to my commands seemed slightly off. I was probably just imagining it.

I turned slightly to check on the others. Tattletale and Renegade sat next to each other just a bit down from where I stood. I could hear them finishing each other sentences as they opened ports, cut feeds, or rerouted who knew what. I suspected she might have been a thinker before, but I was pretty sure of it now. That or she had similar training to Renegade and I just couldn't see that being the case.

Grue, Regent and Bitch were busy in the vault. From the way it looked they had come prepared. They had brought several large canvas bags with them which they were loading the contents of the safety deposit boxes Grue was ripping out. Bitch and Regent took turns loading bags while the other strapped the bags to one of the mutant dogs.

Other than a quick look I didn't pay any attention to them as they went about their part. I didn't care about the money, only that we managed to get this done without anyone getting seriously hurt.

Not going to jail would be nice too.

The seconds trotted along at their leisure as I kept watch. Eventually Renegade stood from the monitor he was accessing. He picked up the rifle before walking toward me.

"Done."

"How long?"

"Probably about ten minutes from the look of things." He replied.

I nodded. That was what he figured it would be from his tests earlier. "I don't suppose there is anything Tattletale can do to speed that up?"

"Without knowing what her skill set is, I couldn't say for sure. Might be best just to leave it to run its course. Could delay things otherwise."

"Alright." I agreed. With my eyes on the monitors I saw what I expected to eventually see.

I heard the chime of Renegades omni-tool activating. "That was what, eight minutes from when the first call was made?"

"Something like that." I mumbled.

"Arcadia is one, two klicks from here? Good response time. "

I didn't comment. It _was_ sort of impressive. Especially considering the PRT building was on the other side of the town so they would have had to run on foot.

From one of the exterior cameras I saw three people come running. The first to round the corner was a guy in a white outfit. I frowned seeing nothing was exposed, not that I expected anything different. Even through the grainy monitor I could see his costume had little clock faces decorating it. As he came to a stop in front of the bank it looked like some of them were animated but it was hard to tell. His mask was a flat white pane. He must have been pretty fit because the pace they were going at couldn't have been easy and he didn't look like it was bothering him much.

The one beside him was just as easily recognizable by his silver and gunmetal scheme. As I observed him I couldn't help but wonder if it was powered armor. He didn't look like he had any trouble keeping the pace either. It was rumored on the PHO that Armsmaster made that set for him and maintained it. If that was the case, then there was no telling what it was capable of. At least he wasn't wearing a full helmet. His just covered his eyes and head.

The last one beside them I didn't recognize. He was a big guy though. Huge really. The kind of huge that only comes from a cape exploiting his powers. His legs looked normal but his upper body was massively overblown. Thick muscles bulged through is his costume and made me think that whatever he got his hands on would likely regret it.

Clockblocker, Gallant, and a new face. The Wards were here. Gallant was talking, but it didn't look like he was talking to the two beside him.

"White hats are here." I heard Tattletale state.

The others came running up from the vault to look at her monitor. Grue was the first to say anything. "Three. Good, that is what we were expecting."

"Four." I stated. "Someone just landed on the roof."

Tattletale nodded with a slight frown on her face. "Its not Aegis or Kid Win either."

"You sure about that?" Grue asked.

"Yeah. But they're here too."

"What?" I heard Grue half growl.

Tattletale slunk a bit into her seat. "They're hanging back trying to tempt us to make a run for it. They know we're here, and by we, I mean us Undersiders. It wouldn't be hard to guess with your power all over the windows and door."

"How many heroes, Tattletale?"

"Eight."

Grue slammed his fist into the desk. When he did I tensed. I noticed Renegade's hands tighten on the rifle as well. I wondered if this would be the moment this whole thing fell apart.

"There wasn't supposed to be eight, there was supposed to be three or four. You said they wouldn't all be able to leave Arcadia at the same time."

"I was wrong. Sue me." Tattletale mumbled.

"We're going to have a long talk about this later. _If_ we manage to get out of this in one piece."

"So what?" Bitch asked unconcerned. "We have hostages. If they try to come in here we can just take one of them out."

Regent nodded while the others looked as if the idea had merit. From where the hostages were huddled together I heard one of them start crying.

"Actually, no you don't. _I_ have hostages._You_ have bags full of money." I stated firmly as I turned away from the monitor. "Unless you've decided to trade?"

When none of the Undersiders said anything I nodded. "Thought not."

"Fine. We fight our way out. We win fights. We won fights before _them_." Bitch said pointing at me with her thumb.

"That was because we picked our battles, Bitch." Grue stated tiredly before turning to Tattletale. "This is why I was against this thing in the first place Tattletale..."

I wanted to sigh. I don't know what Grue expected walking into this thing. Especially considering Bay Central wasn't just any bank, but THE bank of the bay. He certainly shouldn't have expected this to be easy by any stretch. I know we didn't. Still, I could sort of understand his frustration. When Renegade and I put together our escape plan, we didn't account for the Wards showing up en mass. The only reason for it that I could think of was because the more experienced heroes were out of town. I wasn't exactly a fan of Renegades exit strategy in the first place, but with these odds it looked even worse. We were going to have to make our way past the heroes to get where we needed to be to make our escape. That was not going to be easy when we planned for there only being four of them. Now...

I shook that train of thought off. It didn't matter. We were committed. One way or the other we had to get out of the bank. As I thought about it, I realized the situation hadn't just spun out of control, but it completely went off axis. If Tattletale was right, there were eight juvenile heroes out there hopped up on adrenaline and spoiling for a fight. That was a recipe for disaster considering the temperament of most of the Undersiders.

I turned away walking around the counter to the where the hostages were. "Stand up."

It suddenly got very quiet as the hostages all turned to look up at me. "Stand up." I repeated.

I waited as they slowly did as I ordered. "Those of you with small children, pick them up. As a group I want all of you to quickly, but carefully make your way to the back of the bank. There you'll find stairs to the basement, second floor, or you can leave through the back exit. Don't take any elevators, just in case. I'm sure the Protectorate will wish to question you afterward so don't stray too far. Once you have done that, my spiders will leave you."

"You're just going to let them _go_?"

"Easy…" I heard Renegade growl to Grue at the half step he took toward me. He didn't quite raise the rifle barrel to point it at him, but it did raise slightly.

Grue's body posture froze. Apparently he noticed it too. Knowing what I knew of Renegade, Grue was lucky he didn't end up with a mass accelerated round dead center through his left eye.

Judging by the look on my hostages faces, they didn't believe I was letting them go either, so I explained. "They have numbers working in their favor. I doubt we're the only group who chose this particular day or time to do something like this. The gala wasn't exactly kept secret, was it? I'm not going to trust the Wards are not going to just rush in here thinking they can take us with acceptable losses in case they're needed elsewhere. Civilians have no place on the Battlefield."

As I turned my back to the Undersiders. "Go. Hopefully you won't have to hide long."

I know I didn't plan to be here longer than necessary. Hopefully, that wouldn't be because I was in custody on my way to PRT headquarters.

It took a moment before the hostages started moving away. Several looked as if they didn't believe me, that I would make the spiders bite them as some kind of joke or something. However, one of the braver souls took a step forward, and when nothing bad happened to him, started leading the others.

Now that they were moving away, I turned to Renegade, accepting the rifle back. "Its mod'ed with Disruptor Ammo. It won't punch through their armor or break cover. Still, if they're smart, they'll say in cover instead of letting themselves get hit. Mass accelerated rounds do nasty things to biological matter."

I nodded checking to make sure the safety was off. "I remember."

We started moving to the entrance. "Keep in mind that weapon isn't endless. Less so with that particular mod. Keep your fire to tight bursts. If you kick it to full auto you'll burn it out faster than it can overheat." He finished explaining. "And don't use the sable rounds, while they will break cover, they're likely to also go through their armor and bodies."

I swallowed dryly. "Right."

Grue and the rest of the Undesiders met us halfway. "What are you doing?"

"Buying you time. You guys are the masters of the getaway right? So play to your strengths: run."

"That is what they expect us to do."

"Maybe."

"And what about you? What are you going to do?" Tattletale asked.

"Give them something they didn't expect, and a reason to stay."

"Sounds good to me." Regent said. When the other Undersiders turned to him he shrugged his shoulder. "What? If she wants to go out in a blaze of glory while we get away with the cash, I'm cool with that."

Bitch nodded to his point before turning to Grue. "Okay by me."

"Why?" Grue asked suspiciously.

I didn't bother turning to look at him. "That was our deal. We help you rob this bank and get away, we get what we want."

"Won't do you any good in jail."

"I'm not going to jail, so I expect my shipment to be on time." I stated firmly.

He didn't argue further. Not that I expected him too. He was a villain after all. I called all the bugs I had, gathering them in the lobby. Behind me, they skittered or flew into position where I directed them. Massive noisy clouds of insects flowed about the ceiling like a living parody of Grues Darkness. Expect for around us the floor was practically a living carpet of shifting bugs. By the time my swarm had gathered, the Undersiders had climbed on to the backs of the giant hell hounds and looked ready to go.

I turned once more to Renegade. "No dead bodies." Renegade nodded.

"It worries me that you have to tell him that."

I turned slowly to Grue so he would know I was looking at him. "Be 'worried' when I don't."

"Are you ready for this?" Renegades question came over our private comm network.

I turned back so I was facing the entrance way. I replied just as quietly as I jammed the stock of the weapon into my shoulder. "Ask me that after this is over."


	27. Shoot to Thrill 4

**Shoot to Thrill Story Arc: 4.4**

With a minor application of mass effect fields, Renegade caused the doors to slam open, instantly drawing the attention of the Wards waiting for us.

Once past Grue's darkness they got their first look at him. Despite the situation I almost started laughing at the expressions on what I could see of their faces. Shocked didn't cover it. They stood in a line looking ready for whatever might come out that door. What I am sure they didn't expect was for Renegade to saunter outside as if he was enjoying a stroll on a sunny day.

Renegades helmet turned slightly as he looked over our opposition before it turned to look at the surrounding buildings. He stood out in the open in plain view drawing out the moment. Which was fine by me. I was trying to correct my mistake. I should have had the entire area under my surveillance. I thought just the building would have been enough. Now, I was trying to get scouts into the surrounding area to find where the other Wards were hiding. It was a lot more difficult than it should have been. Not just because I was only using small fly's and there was a lot of ground to cover, but this damn migraine was getting worse. The pain wasn't blinding, but it hurt enough I felt like clenching my teeth.

"Oh fuck you man. That is _not_ okay!"

Despite the pain I couldn't help but smiled slightly as I listened through our private comm channel. "Clock…"

"Fuck you, Gallant! He's not wearing your T-shirt!"

Renegade chuckled. "I don't suppose you would mind autographing it?"

I watched as Clockblocker took a step forward before Gallant put his hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Sure asshole. Got a pen?"

Renegades chuckle turned into a full laugh. "And I'm sure I'll wake up in PRT custody shortly after I let you get close enough. Shame though. You're my favorite Ward."

While Clockblocker sputtered at that comment, Renegade turned to the unfamiliar face. "You look a lot better than the last time I saw you, Curbcheck. How's the shoulder?"

If Gallant and Clockblocker were surprised before, it was nothing compared to how they looked as they turned to their teammate. "Better than it used to be. Go by Browbeat now…"

"Yeah, I can see that. Curbcheck doesn't have the same heroic ring as Browbeat. Like the upgrades to your armor. Armsmasters work?"

"You know this villain?" Gallant asked cautiously.

I smiled when I found the other Wards. As Renegade continued to buy me time I turned to Tattletale. "Do you know which Wards are here?"

"Vista, Ageis, Shadow Stalker, and Kid Win. I don't know who's on the roof but I know they're not a Ward." She quickly answered from behind Grue.

Yeah, she was definitely a Thinker. No wonder the Undersiders managed to get away with everything they had in the last year they'd been active. I lowered the rifle holding it in my left hand before raising my right arm and activating my omni tool. A small disk about the size of the palm of my hand launched forward. As soon as it hit, the disk sealed itself to the big bay window. I fired another concession mine into the right. "Vista's going to be the hardest one to get past. She's about a block down the left side…"

"...So then we just need to get past Shadow Stalker who's guarding the right with Aegis and whoever's on the roof."

"Not really. In a moment they're going to have something else to worry about." I stated grimly.

Though my comm link with Renegade, I heard Gallant put an end to Renegades behavior. "Enough! Undersiders, we have the bank surrounded. Surrender peacefully before one of you gets hurt!"

Renegades voice was laced in amusement when he replied. "First, I'm not an Undersider. Second, I am no longer authorized to negotiate. Body count got too high last time."

"What the fuck is this shit… _Fine,_ who is?" Gallant demanded. I could practically hear his teeth grinding from Renegades antics.

I rolled my shoulders. I was _so_ not a fan of this part of the plan.

"Goddamn it, what the fuck are you doing?"

I turned sharply at Grue's frustrated tone. "If you are half the fucking villain your rep says you are, you know exactly what I am doing! You're going to have one clear shot to get out of here, so be ready and stay out of the way until you get my signal."

"And what is that going to be?" Grue practically hissed.

"Trust me, you're not going to be able to miss it. And fucking stay away from those windows. This isn't going to work twice."

I turned away from the Undersiders and exited the bank. I paused for a moment as I entered Grue's darkness. The air thickened enough that I noticed it even through my costume. It was the only thing I could feel now. I was completely blind and it seriously unnerved me. No sound, no light, nothing but my migraine and blackness. If it wasn't for my bugs, I think I would have panicked from how sudden and all consuming it was. Whatever it did to my senses didn't stop my connection to them. Using them as my anchor to reality I put one foot in front of the other on the seemingly nonexistent ground.

I managed to walked out the other side of the wall without faltering. Just. I continued forward with as much confidence as I could muster until I was next to Renegade. The rain hadn't let up in the slightest. If anything, I think it was worse. About the only thing I had going for me was that my costume shed the water easily leaving me dry. Not something anyone else could say. "Status."

My tone must have been more biting than I intended. That or Renegade had decided to sell his role. He straightened up folding his arms behind his back. "The Wards wish to discuss terms of surrender, Matriarch."

I turned to the teen heroes standing by the street. "Accepted. Lay down on the ground with your hands behind your heads. However, I have no interest in prisoners, so you are free to go once we have left."

"Not ours, _yours_!" Gallant snarled.

I activated my Omni-tool.

The bay windows behind us violently exploded, raining shards of glass well out into the street. Thanks to our tech armor, neither Renegade or myself were impaled by the flying shards though we were both thrown forward.

Renegade rolled with the blast coming up behind one of the statues that railed the grand staircase. With his back to it, he activated his omni tool. I, however, wasn't nearly as graceful. The blast staggered me so I lost my balance. Unlike Renegade, I did not easily fall into a combat roll to my cover. Instead I ended up sprawled on the ground. I scrambled as quickly as I could to the statue opposite his, putting my back to it.

I chanced a look. The Wards hadn't weathered the blast any better than I did. All three of them were on the ground. As I watched they rolled over and scrambled for cover of their own.

It didn't stop there. My bugs disgorged from the bank. All my spiders and centipedes came running, tumbling over the shattered windows like a living flood. Once on our side they quickly carpeted the ground making their way tword the three unfortunate heroes. All my flies, cockroaches, beetles, wasps, and bees burst from the bank as well. The incredibly noisy swarms quickly covered the distance. At first, I couldn't tell if their screaming was do more to the creeping doom rushing for them, or the pain inflicted by my fliers who arrived well ahead of the others.

Not that it really mattered. What did matter was they reacted the way I wanted them too. If this didn't get the other Wards to come running, I didn't know what would.

"After this is over, we're going to have a talk about what you consider 'moderate' explosive force!" I yelled to Renegade.

He laughed as he raised his right arm. His power rolled around it in a violent storm as his helmet turned to me. "Wait until I have eezo! The things I can do with that are going to make those concussion mines look like combustion backfire!"

"So not helping your case!" Several painfully bright impacts rained into the statue I was hiding behind. Looked like the armored Lancelot of the Bay wasn't having that hard of a time with my bugs, or he was shielded somehow. As the blasts continued to assault my cover I figured it had to be Gallant since according to the Wiki he was the one with a projected power. Thankfully none of the bursts affected me. Rumor had it each blast was charged with whatever emotion Gallant wanted you to feel. It could be hopelessness, sadness, shame, fear, whatever. I really wasn't looking forward to finding out what he had in mind for us.

In a slight pause of Gallant's salvo, I brought the rifle around the opposite side of the statue. "Let's just get this over with. I don't want to be here when the Protectorate shows up! Have you jammed their comms yet?"

"Fine fine, though I can't say I wouldn't mind going a round or two with Armsmaster. Or Dragon! The PHO says they're the best toe to toe fighters in the region."

"I really hope you're joking… The comms?" I yelled questionably as I pulled the trigger. The rifle jumped slightly in my hands as the three round burst flew forward. They impacted the railing Browbeat was hiding behind making him duck lower as the railing easily broke apart. I watched him roll around a bit as my bugs continued to their own assault. Seeing him occupied for the moment, I switched targets. I quickly aimed at Clockblocker who looked like he was getting ready to rush us and pulled the trigger again. The burst just barely missed him as he returned to his cover behind the statue at the bottom of the stairs. Unlike Browbeat, his costume completely protected him, so my bugs weren't having nearly the effect I had hoped for.

"Yeah, I got the comms. They won't be able to communicate with anyone for several minutes." Suddenly a ball of energy sailed down the stairs exploding with a force that made the mines look like a gust of wind. All three heroes ended up going airborne from the biotic blast. Gallant bounced down the street about forty feet before I lost sight of him. Clockblocker dissapeared down an ally across from us. Browbeat wasn't so lucky. He ended up going through the window of the storefront across the street.

This was a costly choice on our part. The blast had also killed a huge chunk of my bugs. However, as Vista suddenly appeared by Gallant with Kid Win, and Aegis flew in with Shadow Stalker, we found it worked pretty well in drawing in the heroes hiding in wait.

Just as quickly as Aegis and Shadow Stalker arrived, they suddenly found themselves immobile. Seemingly frozen just at the point where Aegis was going to let go of Shadow Stalker. "Undersiders, Go!" I yelled at the bank.

Grues darkness seemed to explode outward in two columns that almost completely blanked the area. I couldn't see or hear anything from inside it but I hoped they listened to me and were making their escape. As I looked at Grue's handiwork I was thankful for Tattletale. She must have divined our plan and told Grue where to put his power because it coincided without our escape route perfectly. That meant we had cover, something it looked like we would need.

It was as I reached for my bugs to marshal what forces I had left that the pain became almost unbearable. It lanced through me setting my nerves on fire. I closed my eyes for a moment trying to get my bearings.

"What's wrong?" Renegade asked. I felt so disoriented, according to my power, he was still over by the other statue, but my eyes told me he was kneeling right next to me.

"I don't know, My head is killing me…"

"Were you hit? I don't see any damage to your armor..."

"No, I think someone's messing with my power." I reached for the bugs again everything went wrong. There were no words to describe it, exactly. It was like feedback. If my brain had been a computer, I got the feeling I'd only be getting hundreds or thousands of error messages popping up across the screen. I tried again to make my bugs do something, anything, but all I managed to do was make the pain worse.

"_Fuck…_" I grunted as I felt Renegade help me up but my legs had trouble holding my own weight. Renegade compacted the rifle on his back before putting his arm around me. I ended up leaning heavily in to him as he lead me through Grue's darkness.

Half carrying me, Renegade quickly led us to where we would be making our own escape. We crossed the street unmolested making our way down from the bank and entering an alley next to a coffee shop. It didn't take long but Grues power was already starting to fade by the time we got inside. We only just managed it when two figures dropped down from the sky. One in front of us, the other behind.

I thought for a second it was the cape on the roof but one look at them had me wanting to scream obscenities, and not just from the pain.

Both figures were dressed in Japanese fighting gi's. The one in front of us wore red. The one behind us was in white. Both had headbands and some kind of flesh masks that distorted their appearance. Not that I had any trouble recognizing them anyways. Only these two would be so fucking stupid to pick a fight _now _with the Wards so close.

"Uber and Leet. How… Annoying." I growled.

Here we were, inches from escape with the whole fucking Ward team behind us with only Grue's fading darkness keeping us from being found, and these two morons had to interfere. As I seethed I couldn't help but wonder if it was Leet that did this to me. "Well, look what we have here. Two lost little new bloods who think they're hot shit. When Leet said you were hitting Bay Central I couldn't believe it. We just had to stop by and see for ourselves."

Leet snorted in agreement while flexing overblown muscles. I didn't even want to know what kind of tinker craft they injected into themselves to get their bodies to look like that. Right now, I just wanted to put as much distance from the bank and these idiots as I could. The pain was getting so bad I barely heard Leet behind us. "Payback time for that stunt you pulled on us a few weeks ago."

"The Wards are just around the corner. You really want to do this _now_?" Renegade asked disbelievingly.

"They're busy with a few of Leets toys. Have been for a while now. We were planning to use them for something else later, but just couldn't resist this chance to even the score."

"Sorry about this." Renegade muttered just loud enough for our comm system to pick up.

Uber brought his arms around himself in some kind of kata looking move. Between his hands a vicious ball of energy began manifesting. Electricity arced off it racking along the walls in front of us. I could hear a similar event taking place behind us.

The pain in my head seemed to just get worse. My world was practically nothing but pain at this point. "Just do it." I muttered back to Renegade.

I fell in a heap on the ground as Renegade reached forward before jerking his arm back. Ubers ball of lighting vanished as he flew directly at us at an incredible speed. Renegade easily sidestepped the catapulted body. Leet, wasn't so lucky. The force of Ubers body carried them both out of the alley and into the street still partially hidden in darkness.

Renegade wasted no time pulling the manhole cover out of the ground. "Can you climb down?"

"...No." I grunted.

I felt my body lighten considerably before Renegade shoved me into the hole sending me into the sewer walkway below. As I floated down, he climbed into the hole replacing the manhole cover. With his omni tool he welded it shut to prevent anyone from following us.

As my prone body came to a rest on the rank walkway, I couldn't help but chuckle at myself. Not the getaway I had envisioned when we planned it. I waited trying to be as still as I could until Renegade descended the ladder and was once again next to me.

I heard his omni tool activate again as he brought up a map of the sewers as well as creating a beam of light for him to see by. Originally, I was going to use my bugs to navigate this foul route, but that was shot now.

I felt Renegade pick me up before he slung me over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. "Sorry about this. Not a very dignified way to travel, but we need to get out of here. Our vanishing act isn't going to confuse them long. You know we're going to have to do something about them at some point, don't you?"

From my where I lay, bent over his shoulder, I couldn't help but chuckle darkly as he started jogging. His movements did nothing for the pain in my head but thinking of getting back at Uber and Leet for what they did to me brought a smile to my face. Talking hurt like nothing I ever known, but I pushed the words through my teeth anyways. "Don't worry, I have an idea…"


	28. Shoot to Thrill Interlude

**Shoot to Thrill Story Arc: Interlude**

The van came to a stop. Aegis opened the rear doors before he climbed out. This particular parking garage was not the usual one the PRT employes used. This one was only for the Wards, since the Protectorate heroes stationed here usually had their own modes of transportation. As Aegis looked around, he could easily see there was no one here who wasn't supposed to be, which was perfectly fine by him.

Aegis turned to look at his dispirited team. Shadow Stalker stormed from the rear of the second van. He knew she was heading to the elevators on the other side. He wasn't very surprised she did so without so much as a backward glance. She was pissed, and her current attitude promised there was going to be problems with her later. He'd have to watch her to make sure she didn't take out her frustration on Vista like she was prone to when no one was looking.

Kid Win easily stepped out, helping Clockblocker down from the first van. Like most of them, Kid was fine. Clockblocker however leaned heavily against him as they slowly started making their way across the garage. Aegis was pretty sure he was going to be alright once he had a chance to rest up. Aside from that rough landing into the alley he flew into, he hadn't taken any direct hits. Well, he'd be fine in time. Not all of them had regenerative powers like he did.

From the second van, Gallant stepped out. His armor was scuffed from the road rash he accumulated from the same blast that took out Clock. Say what you will about Armsmaster, he was one of the premier tinkers in the Protectorate and other than some visual distortions the armor held up fine. More importantly to Aegis, Gallant was alright. Not that he probably shared in that sentiment.

In a month Aegis was graduating to the Protectorate. Clockblocker was oldest and due to replace him but that would only last about a month before he joined Aegis. That put Gallant in charge of the team for the next year. Knowing Clockblocker's aversion to any kind of leadership role, Gallant would most likely be leading even before that. That was why when the call came in, he decided now was the best time to see what kind of leader Gallant would be before he wasn't here to help him.

Aegis watched the slumped form of his team mate make his way. No one liked to lose, Gallant especially. But to lose the way they did, well, that took something more from you. It had been a while since they had taken been in such a one sided confrontation. If he remembered right, that last time was before Gallant even joined. Hopefully this didn't shake his confidence going forward. They'd lost encounters with villains before, they would weather this loss as well. He'd talk to him privately later. Maybe tell him about the Maybelle encounter.

The person he wanted to talk too now just stepped out of the second van which brought Aegis attention back to the present. Browbeat took the worst of the Wards but his biokinesis helped him shrug the effects off easier. He was already deflating down but Aegis knew it would take some time for it to run its course. Once Aegis helped Vista down from the van next to him, he walked to Browbeat.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'll be alright. Could have been a lot worse."

Aegis nodded. That was true too. Typically the PRT didn't send them into life threatening situations. Typically. Still, that didn't stop a miscommunication or lack of information from putting them in serious harms way. It had happened before, and each of them knew it could happen again anytime they answered the call to enter the field. They made it halfway to the elevator before Aegis decided to break the silence that had enveloped them. "So, Curbcheck?"

His mask kept Aegis from seeing the smile form on his face but he heard it in Browbeats reply. "My little brother gave me that name not long after I got my powers. I used it for a few months before I joined the Wards."

"I take it that is about when you crossed paths with the villain cape?" Aegis asked getting to the heart of it.

"Not in the way you're thinking."

At Aegis's frown, Browbeat continued as they stepped into the elevator. "He saved my life."

"The villain saved your life."

Browbeat nodded as he folded his massive arms. "I didn't know he was a villain back then, but yeah. That's how I met… Well, that's how I met Renegade."

Aegis didn't think he could disguise his curiosity even if he wanted too. Once he punched their floor, he matched Browbeats posture before asking, "What happened?"

Browbeat blew out a breath as he seemed to fold into himself. Though, Aegis thought, that could have been the effect of his power reversing how he boosted himself. "You know I used to go to Jefferson right? Well, so does my little brother, just a few grades lower. Anyways, that area is badly infested with Merchants. My dad says the areas always been a bit bad with drug addicts but in the last couple of years it's gotten really bad. Well, back before I got my powers there used to be these three guys who would hang out near the school. They'd try and get the kids to come party with them. Their favorite target was my brother."

"Got so bad that he would stay after his last class ended in the school library until I got out. Then I would walk him home. One day, that wasn't enough to make them back off. I had hoped cutting through this alley between these two apartment complexes would help us avoid them but it didn't work and they cornered us. I guess they got tired of asking and decided to bring the party to him. We couldn't run so I fought back. Just trying to buy time for my little brother to get away, you know?"

Aegis nodded. "Did he?"

"Yeah, and they didn't like that at all." Browbeat turned away lowering his voice as he continued. "Look, this is kinda personal…"

"Browbeat," Aegis started compassionately, "Look, I hate to say this but you know that if you don't tell me, Piggot's going to ask. You haven't been with us long, but even you have to know shes not known for being very nice about, well, anything."

Aegis joined in chuckling a bit darkly with his teammate. That was an understatement, and they both knew it.

"This, can this stay between us then?"

"As much as I can do that, yeah. What happened after your brother got away?"

Browbeat sighed. For a moment, Aegis didn't think he would continue, but after a bit he started talking again. "The leader said that since I let the guest of honor get away, I was going to have to take his place. Two of them held me down while the leader stuck several needles in to my neck injecting me with some kind of liquid drug. No clue what it was but it burned like fire through my veins. I remember rolling around screaming in agony. They stood there laughing the whole time like it was a great joke. Talking about how we were all going to be _real_ good friends…"

"Jesus…" Aegis muttered.

Browbeat shrugged one shoulder. "Anyways, everything was coming unraveled. Colors blended and shapes started doing weird things. Then I blacked out. When I woke up, I was still laying in the alley but I was fine. The druggies… well, they'd left at some point after I blacked out and I didn't see anyone else around. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I'd been out for hours. My bro made it home, I was... alive, aside from the fact I didn't know how I managed it. I didn't figure it out until I accidentally shot a glass I was reaching for through the wall."

"We didn't see them until the next week. I was walking my bro home again when they showed up. I guess they figured I'd be going through withdrawals and need another fix. Maybe they wanted a... repeat of last time. Well, I'd spent the last week practicing with my new powers and that wasn't going to happen again. Instead, I used them to drive those assholes off. I shot a trashcan into a dumpster hard enough to rip it in half. That scared them enough to bolt."

As Browbeat paused Aegis took a moment to take everything in as he listened to the elevator chime the passing floors. Browbeat wasn't the most social of the Wards. In fact, he was only slightly more social than Shadow Stalker, if not a hell of a lot more pleasant to be around. Getting him to talk about himself had been a problem in the limited time he'd been with them. So it was very surprising to hear him open up now.

Aegis remembered what it was like when he first joined the Wards. At the time he was the newest member to a team that hadn't seen any new recruits in over two years. That was a long time for a group to serve together. Made it really hard to integrate with the others. It made him feel like an outcast among his fellow capes. It seemed to take forever before he felt at ease with them, or them with him. Now half of them had moved on to the Protectorate. The others… Well… He tried not to let the same thing happen to Browbeat, but the last few weeks had seen little promise until now. It was a good sign. Browbeat continuing brought him out of his thoughts.

"It was the next day things got out of hand. Instead of the three of them, there were five. One of them was a cape, went by Blue Streak. He didn't even wear a mask or have a costume."

"I remember him. He was a Merchant cape. Some kind of speeder that left behind blue after images of himself right? Rumor had it he left town a while back."

"Yeah, a very short range speeder. Could only move from one point to another within sight, and only if that was within like thirty yards. He was a pretty well known villain in our area. He didn't leave town though. Not like you're thinking."

The elevator doors opened showing the hard steel grey corridors that dominated this section of the building. Only heroes and very select support staff were allowed up this way. Aegis didn't know what to say but keep in step with Browbeat, letting him finish as they made their way to their command center.

"As soon as they saw us, Blue Streak burst forward and hit me. I mean, you read about speeders on the internet and think, holy crap I bet that would be cool. But when you have to fight one? Yeah, that's a different ballgame. He sent me flying to the ground. The others cheered him on while he kept kicking and hitting me. He was so fast I couldn't get my hands on him. I was using my power to make me tougher so I could take the hits but he just kept coming at me. I wasn't just losing but as the fight kept going I was pretty sure he was going to kill me."

"That was when Renegade showed up. The beating I was taking ended up carrying us out into the street. I was lying there after getting kicked again. I remember Blue Streak laughing at me. That sick, fucked-up laugh that he had. Then suddenly he flew backward into the alley. I didn't even know he stopped hitting me until I felt my little brother trying to pick me up. That was when I noticed Renegade walking out of the alley Blue Streak disappeared into."

Aegis frowned at the self mocking chuckle from his teammate. "I was so out of it when I looked up. Renegade was wreathed in his power, like earlier at the bank. All blues, blacks and purples, distorting light and trailing off him like smoke. It was probably the coolest thing I'd ever seen a hero do with their powers. That was what I thought he was at first, just another random solo hero. Maybe a bit poor since…. well, his costume was pretty basic. He even asked me if I was alright. I told him I was even though I was pretty sure my shoulder was out of socket."

"He let it pass. I thought at the time he might have known I was lying. Didn't know till today he did. He told me his name and asked me who I was as I was getting up. That was when my brother introduced me as 'Curbcheck'. I never saw him again until today."

"Okay." Aegis said.

Browbeat turned slightly to him but didn't comment. The rest of the walk was silent for both young men. Once they arrived at the command center, Aegis bent forward to allowing the retinal scanner to confirm his identity. Once done, the great steel door hissed before swinging inward. Both teens stepped in letting the door swung shut again. However, as Browbeat looked like he was heading to his room, Aegis grabbed his arm before he moved more than a couple of steps.

"Listen Sam, I don't think Piggot needs all the details, so don't worry about that. But if you remember anything else about this cape, anything at all, let me know alright?"

Browbeat stood quiet. He didn't say anything until Aegis started to turn away. "Carlos…"

"Yeah, Sam?"

"We got lucky."

Aegis turned around to fully face him. "What do you mean?"

"Remember when I said Blue Streak didn't leave town?"

"Yeah?"

"He didn't leave that alley either. Neither did the other four guys with him."

"Sam, are you saying…"

"I'm just saying, we got lucky."

Aegis frowned as the implications sank in as Browbeat turned away from him and walked into his room. He continued to look at the closed door for a moment before he dragged his attention back to the others.

"Alright, once everyone has had a chance to tend to their injuries or shower, we need to go over today. Gallant, bring the whiteboards over would you?"

Gallant looked up from the computer to nod.

Aegis grabbed a few markers. When Gallant rolled the boards in place he handed him one while using the other to clearly divide it into columns.

_XxXExiledXxX_

Leet opened the door dragging his friend inside and immediately stopped. The building they had decided on outfitting for their jobs used to be an old warehouse. In the last year they'd filled it with random leftovers from various jobs. Costumes dressed several mannequins half buried by boxes that held bits of his tinker craft they didn't need anymore or didn't work right. Some of them partially concealed by tarps. It was dark, but that was expected. They only had one set of lights that still worked in the place and those were only set up around his lab. It wasn't a huge place but the haphazard way they stored things meant you had to navigate a maze through the dark. Gave the place an impression of being far larger than it really was. However, none of that was what stopped him. Something didn't feel right. After a moment he decided it wasn't the contents of the interior. At least, it wasn't anything he could see.

"What's wrong Leet?"

"...Nothing, I guess. Come on, lets get you healed up."

As he hauled his friend through the maze of aisles working their way toward the center, that feeling of unease didn't leave him. If anything, it was getting worse. It felt like they were being watched. It raised the hairs on the back of his neck. Maybe he was just being jumpy after the walk they just had. The escape transporter that allowed them to get away from the Wards was supposed to bring them back here, but it didn't. Instead they ended up almost three miles away. The whole time he was dragging Uber through the streets of the docks he felt like any moment the Wards were going to show up and arrest them. That, or some of the other villains that took refuge in the Docks would take that moment to capitalize on their weakness and take them out. It made for a very nerve racking trek.

By the time he managed to get Uber into the center area where he had his workshop nothing had happened. As they stepped into the light offered by the overheads he immediately felt better. They made it. Leet gave the area a quick look noticing nothing seemed out of place which further reassured him. Everything was exactly where it was supposed to be. The only noticeable difference was the Transporter. He could easily smell the burnt circuitry and this close he could see random sparks shooting from it. He sighed, it was a loss, but that figured. The only one that worked right was the first one and they long ago burnt it out.

"Fuck. Its wrecked, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I don't think I can fix it this time either. Every time I've fixed it before it's gotten worse. There's no telling where we'll end up if we try using it again. Might even kill us next time."

"Fuck." Uber repeated. "That thing was handy."

"Lucky for you, Mr. Doctor still works." Leet stated as he adjusted his grip on Uber before dragging him toward the table that would fix his friend up.

He didn't take more than a step when the sense of security he had only just started feeling died thanks to one statement made by a masculine voice he easily recognized. "Too bad you have other problems to worry about now."

Leet spun around as quickly as he could without dropping Uber to see a figure standing behind them pointing a futuristic rifle. Despite the light offered by the lamps, his form shifted slightly thanks to the blueish field that surrounded him. Still, there was absolutely no mistaking who it was.

"Disarm. I doubt I need to explain the consequences of disobedience." Renegade stated darkly.

Leet lowered his friend slowly to the ground watching the rifle barrel follow him with ease that spoke of Renegades competence with it. Once down, Leet removed the armbands they were wearing tossing them to the other side of the room.

Uber grunt beside him. Leet could practically hear his teeth grinding from where he was kneeling.

"Hands above your head." Renegade commanded them as he approached. They did as they were told Renegade patted them down removing some of the other things they had on them. Leet almost cursed when he took the pouch at his side. Any hope they had of getting out of this disappeared as the pouch sailed across the room landing with the others things Renegade removed from them.

Finished, their captor walked away to stand where he was before still keeping the rifle pointed at them.

"Can we put our arms down now?" Uber asked practically hissing from the pain.

Renegade didn't respond. Instead a feminine voice spoke from just out of sight. "I hope this isn't a bad time…"

The room was silent except for the sounds of hard boot heels clicking against the concrete. Leet swallowed as it steadily drew closer.

"I know the term get's thrown around a lot in our society, but I'm curious..." The voice said evenly. "Tell me, gentlemen, do you know what 'Nemesis' means?"

A hard leather boot stepped into the light at the edge of his workshop. As the figure continued to slowly advance, more of the body became visible. The light traveled upward revealing the grey black leggings before showing the leather straps that secured several weapons to a woman's hips.

"A Nemesis is a righteous infliction of retribution, manifested by an appropriate, and inescapable, agent. Often times personified by a horribly vicious _bitch_. In our case..."

The light continued to reveal more grey black of the cape before them. Hard chilton looking plates eventually gave way to a mostly faceless mask that only offered two discernible features. The insect mandible looking armor that framed where her jaw would be, and hard opaque golden lenses she had for eyes.

"Me."

As Matriarch stepped fully into the light Leet felt himself shaking slightly. As she was speaking he could hear new sounds drawing nearer. Something was skittering in the shadows. Thousands, tens of thousands of _something_ moved closer, surrounding them. The noise level rose with slowly encroaching buzzing of wings, clicking mandibles, or the multitude of small skittering insect legs

"Fuck me…" Uber whispered to himself. Leet doubted they heard him, but Leet did, and it did nothing for how he felt about this situation.

With their attention so focused on Matriarch, neither of them noticed Renegade move one of Leets chairs over. Not until Matriarch sat in it before them.

"You two made a serious mistake today. I was perfectly willing to let things stand after the trade as just an expected consequence of doing business with villains. However, today you interfered in one of my business dealings. That, gentlemen, is something I cannot ignore."

"What are you going to do with us?" Leet asked not sure if he really wanted to know the answer or not.

"I am going to give you a choice."

Uber asked skeptically. "A choice?"

"A choice. With very clear outcomes. Outcome one, you decline. In which case I am going to shoot you both."

"I don't like the sound of that…" Leet muttered half under his breath.

"Two," Matriarch continued. "...you accept my offer, but lie to me about it. In which case I find out later, and rest assured, I will find out. In that event, I won't shoot you. What I will do, is feed you to my bugs." As she finished that statement the noise level suddenly spiked as if that idea pleased what must have been the hundred of thousands of insects surrounding them.

Out of the corner of Leet's eyes he saw Uber swallow. "I like the sound of that even less." Leet internally agreed with his friend. The thought that they would be alive when this happened seemed to reverberate around in his head despite the fact she hadn't actually said that.

"Last option, you accept, don't lie, and join my crew. This is not without benefits such as access to our resources and, of course, money which you will earn while in my employ. Most importantly, you get to live. Something I am not at all certain I am in favor of, but Renegade thinks you have potential..."

Leet shook his head. He wondered what the hell that meant as he eyed the strange pistol Matriarch had strapped to her thigh. Not that it was any less bothersome than the bugs which were surely waiting for them in the darkness that surrounded them.

"Today you two showed me that I am going to have to do something about you. I don't know what you did to me at the bank, but it nearly cost us our deal with the Undersiders. I will _not_ allow you to ruin what I am trying to build."

"Wait, we didn't do anything!" Uber shouted.

Matriarch sat unmoving except for the slight turn of her head. Leet decided to jump in. "Okay, we jumped you but that was it. We didn't do anything else, we swear!" Next to him Uber nodded as quickly as his injuries allowed him to.

"Regardless." Matriarch stated. Leet felt himself sag slightly at the finality in her tone. "The choice is yours. You are going to cease to be a problem, or you are going to simply cease to be. You have one minute to decide."

Leet felt his heart thumping in his chest as he wildly tried to figure a way out of this. As the seconds sped by and nothing came to him he sagged lower. Next to him, Uber seemed to fold in on himself. Most likely reaching the same conclusion.

Leet sighed knowing there really was only one answer to give. "Alright…"


	29. Shoot to Thrill 5

**Shoot to Thrill Story Arc: 4.5**

"This is such a bad idea," I stated as I climbed off the back of Renegade's motorcycle.

"I think they'll surprise you."

"What will surprise me is if they don't sabotage one of our projects in revenge for us press ganging them," I returned frustrated.

"You can always think of it as conscription, if that makes you feel better about it."

"Seriously not helping, Renegade."

He chuckled as he dismounted from the bike. "It was your idea."

I turned away from the empty parking lot we were in. I had my bugs searching for observers ever since he told me this was our meeting place with his fence. "Technically, it was Adrian Ro's idea. I just adapted it for our needs. Still, I am seriously not happy about actually recruiting them. They're going to either screw us over, or screw up. Have you even seen some of their cape antics? They're walking disasters."

"Yeah, did my research on them back before the trade. Regardless, I still think they're going to surprise you. They're really not any different than some of the recruits that would come through Alliance Boot. Discipline, a well structured routine, and clear guidelines will do wonders for them. You'll see. We good?"

I nodded. "Just two people with clear sight of us but they're… occupied."

I heard him snort in response as he turned to head to the building. "Good enough."

After a moment he started chuckling to himself again. "Adrian Ro. Such a pretentious bastard. However, I will say that he would have fit right in on this planet. Far better than I am. I think I need to be careful which memories I show you. I showed you that one because I thought you would get a kick out of the Crystal Forest of Thelix Four. Galaxy Net called it one of the top thirty scenic places to watch a sunset. I know I was impressed."

"It was a very beautiful sun set. I can't even think of anything that compares to incredible colors that seemed to explode from every branch of those weird trees. I don't think I would have believed you without seeing it. It was gorgeous. At least until you blew up Ro's house and the plasma fires and smoke blocked it out."

Renegade turned to me. "You remember I was his prisoner right? Besides, what was I supposed to do after he gave me that speech and said he was going to kill me? Yeah, I expected that explosion to be big, but even I didn't know it would go up like that."

I snorted. _Whatever_. I remember him carefully targeting that liberated sniper rifle to hit the fuel tanks as well as his thoughts on what the effects would be. It was actually an impressive shot considering all the factors there were at the time but he knew exactly what was going to happen. "All I wanted to do was drive them from the city. At the very least, I wanted to scare them enough they would leave us alone. Recruiting them was your idea. We're lucky they believed I would actually kill them. I have no idea what we would have done if they had called our bluff or decided to pull one of your stunts."

"I would have shot them." Renegade stated as if that consequence was barely worth mentioning.

I frowned but somehow I can't say I was surprised. Still… "That was not what we agreed to when Chatika found their hideout and we decided what we were going to do."

His helmet silently turned to me. For a moment neither of us spoke. I got the distinct impression I might have upset him. After an awkward moment he turned away heading to the building. "Gamble's waiting."

I sighed before following him toward the closed restaurant. If there was one thing I knew would always be at the center of our disagreements, it would be this. Renegade viewed some things in a very black and white manner. See a threat? Kill it. Obstacle in your way? Blow it up. Granted the how's and why's could get complicated, but it usually all boiled down to a very simple equation for him. That made things difficult for us at times because life in the Bay was nothing like his life in the Alliance. Still, this wasn't the place or time for us to hash this out. Our day wasn't quite done yet.

We were way out on the very edge of the Boardwalk. A few years ago the Boardwalk used to extend all the way out here. However, this area was far too close to the docks. With the villain population hiding out in the docks it wasn't surprising that this area ended up dying out.

The restaurant we walked to was one of those casualties. As far as I knew it's been closed for several years. Weeds broke through the asphalt every where I could see giving testament to the passage of time. Despite the derelict feel to the area, the building itself looked to have weathered the inactivity well enough. Faded paint and gang tags aside.

Renegade held the shuttered door open for me. As I stepped in, I couldn't help but be surprised by how well the interior had survived. I expected more gang tags or lots of graffiti from locals partying in an out of the way spot. I doubted there was an abandoned building in the Bay that wasn't used for that at some point or another. Maybe lots of trash and beer bottles discarded all over giving testament to the good times held by rebellious teens. Instead I was taken back by how clean it was. No graffiti, no gang tags, nothing but clean white walls and tiled floor. There wasn't even any furniture, rotting or otherwise, anywhere. The inside looked like it was just waiting for opening day.

Despite the fact it was almost three in the afternoon the room was plunged into darkness when Renegade closed the door behind me. The only source of light came from around the corner. Renegade passed me heading toward it. I fell in step behind him as he made his way where it appeared the light was coming from into what looked like a long seating area. The huge bay windows, had they not been blacked out by huge heavy shutters, would have looked out onto the bay. I can imagine that would have been one of the driving attractions of the place back in it's hay day. A sound like metal on glass brought my attention away from the windows. Thoughts of the what the old place must have been like back then were wiped away when I got my first look the man waiting for us.

The light source I noticed earlier was coming from a tall lamp. It was powered by a very quiet small generator. The man waiting for us was sitting at the only table in the place. A bottle of some kind of liquor keeping him company. He was dressed in an impeccable three piece suit. A platinum ring with a double set of dice decorated his right ring finger. The sound I heard must have been him picking up his glass. He could have passed as rich businessman if it wasn't for the mask that completely covered his face.

The featureless spade like mask turned upward as we approached. As we came into the pool of light around the mans table he rose extending his hand. "Renegade."

"Gamble. Good to see you again." Renegade stated as he took the man's hand.

Gamble extended his hand toward me. "Matriarch, I presume?"

I nodded as I shook his hand.

Gamble waved his hands to the two unoccupied chairs at the table. "Please sit. Drink?"

"No thanks." Renegade replied as he activated his omni-tool. I shook my head as well. After a moment Renegade pulled what looked like a USB drive from it and placing it on the table in front of Gamble.

"Any trouble with the Undersiders, or at the bank? The Protectorate has put a pretty tight lid on what happened. So far nothing has been leaked."

Renegade chuckled. "Considering how well we did, I'm not surprised. Probably looking for the best possible spin to put on it. Only two hiccups and we've already dealt with one."

I looked to Renegade frowning behind my mask. Uber and Leet said they didn't do whatever it was that crippled me at the bank. I still didn't know if I believed them but I was leaning that way. Renegade nodded to the drive disk before he continued. "Our agent managed to get about ninety four percent of the data we were mining for. Unfortunately our access was shut down before we could access the last six percent. Dragon intervened."

Gamble picked up the drive before his mask turned fully to Renegade. "Is your agent alright? One of my associates tangled with her a few years back. She did something that made her computer explode. Took her weeks to recover from it. I'll grant you her set up was always on the verge of exploding, but Tera managed to keep it from doing so until that day."

"She's fine, though I will admit we could some supplies. Dragons counterattack was fairly effective in disabling some of our gear."

Gamble nodded as he slipped the little drive into the inner pocket of his expensive suit. "I'm sorry for your equipment losses. Sounds like the only down side to a very well executed job. Get me a list of supplies and I'll see what I can do to get you back up and running. On me since you took a hit doing me a favor."

"I was hoping you would say that. I included a list on the OSD."

Gamble chuckled. "Good. I'll let you know when I'll be able to get them to you. Figure by the end of next week at the latest. I owe you that much for doing this for me."

Renegade waved the comment aside. "We're more than even. I hope the data helps."

"It will. Even if it doesn't point to who I'm looking for, it will point me to what they have been after. Every bit helps."

"True enough."

"Well," Gamble stated as he rose for the chair. Renegade and I stood up with him. "I think that completes our business here, except for this..."

He reached into his jacket pulling out a big manila envelope. He handed it to Renegade. "The papers you requested."

"Everything in order?"

"Of course."

"Outstanding."

"Until next time then. Renegade. Matriarch." Gamble nodded to us before he left. I waited until the ant I had placed on his shoe showed told me he left the building before I turned Renegade. He already retook his seat and was going through the some papers he took from the envelope. "He's gone."

Renegade nodded before taking off his helmet. I retook my own seat next to him taking off my mask. "How bad was the damage to Chatika servers? You said it was bad, but you didn't say how bad."

I heard him sigh as he finally got free of the bulky headgear. "Could have been a lot worse. I cobbled her hardware from parts I scavenged. Most of it was pretty old stuff even by this planets standards. She ended up burning out over half her processors when the power surge from her processing matrix overheated. Thankfully her drive core survived intact."

I sighed. "If I'd known this was going to happen…"

"Never second guess yourself." Sebastian interrupted me. "We executed the mission to the best of our abilities considering the circumstances. No civilians were hurt, the Undersiders got away, we managed to evade capture, and even if Chatika has been crippled, its nothing we can't repair in time. We gained two new, albeit reluctant, recruits. We'll go over the debriefing later."

I sighed but nodded. "Alright. What did you get from Gamble?"

"Well, considering how much you didn't what to do this job I thought maybe a bonus would sweeten the deal. Of course this was before you sprung Project Undine on me. Still, I already set it in motion so it looks like we both got something out of it. This," Sebastian stated as he held up a piece of paper. "Is for you."

"What is it?" I asked as I took it.

"The deed to this place."

"What!?"

"It's the deed. You are now the proud owner of your very own Headquarters."

"I can't own anything, I'm fifteen!"

"Not according to these. Here." Sebastian amusedly stated as he slid over a small packet of papers.

I eyed them skeptically. "And those are?"

"Drivers Licenses, social security card, birth certificate as well as some background records. Previous address, work history. Things like that."

"Holy shit…" I looked through the papers. It was all there just like he said. With some differences. Like I don't remember ever living in California, working for an internet brokerage, nor was I born in Hanford Connecticut. However when I looked at the driver's license I practically jumped in my seat.

"This has my picture on it. My real picture…"

"I would hope so. I spent some time working on that for Gamble. Aging it just enough to pass for twenty-one but not so much that anyone wouldn't believe that's really you when you use it. It's a lot harder to do it without access to the right software but I think it came out alright."

I dry swallowed. "Sebastian, you outed me to Gamble."

"How was he supposed to put together an cover ID kit without your picture? Besides, Gamble's blind. He has people who put together and make the documents all but real, but only he does the ID work. He's probably the best forger in the country. I've seen him work. Though he's practically an unknown. Pretty sure he does that on purpose."

I breathed a sigh of relief that some stranger didn't know who I was under my mask. "He's a cape?"

Sebastian nodded. "Can't tell much can you? Something to do with his abilities but he never specified to me what they were."

"How do you even know this guy?" I asked. Now that I wasn't worried about some stranger knowing my identity I shifted through more of the papers Sebastian had made for me.

"He found me when I appeared on this Earth." I looked up when he shook his head. "I still don't remember a lot of those early days, but Gamble kept me from hurting others or myself. One of the reasons why I wanted to do this job for him. Wipe the slate clean."

I shook my head picking up the ID again giving it a more in depth look. "Allison Gunn?"

"It would be a very bad cover ID if it had your real name. What's the matter? Don't like it?"

I didn't respond as I tried to wrap my head around all of this.

Sebastian chuckled. After a moment he looked up with that stupid smug smile on his face before he started explaining. "We need a new base of operations. Especially if we're going to succeed with Project Undine. Something inland to make it easier on you so you don't have to rely on me all the time to get to the lab. Not to mention we need a better facility for Chatika's servers. This place will make a fine command center. At least once we get it up and running. You have to admit, it would make thing easier for you if you kept your costume and weapons here rather than at your house."

I nodded. "No argument here. I've been worried Dad might go snooping and find my costume every day I have gone to school. What are we going to do about your place though?"

"Chatika will be operating the drones from there but I'll use it for some of the more dangerous weapons research I have planned. It's remote enough that should something go wrong civilians won't get hurt. Besides, since we don't have a mobile base like I did with the _Normandy_, it's better to spread things out some. You realize that once we get the bay open the likelihood of someone finding our hideout is going to go up exponentially. Especially with everyone focused on that region once the first ship comes through the channel. Relocating most of our operations here will keep us close while also not quite under the microscope."

"I have no idea how you keep all this stuff straight. You're anticipating just about everything we've come across so far."

"You're surprised? I was trained for this kind of thing. Five years as an enlisted man, training and expanding my knowledge of engineering and my biotics, then Anderson tapped me for N7. Three more years' additional education, training, and more live fire missions before the Blitz. After that I spent two years running an anti-piracy task force. That took me through Citadel space, the Verge, even into the Terminus a few times before Torfan ended my active career for a while."

Sebastian put the papers he was going through back into the envelope. "Fact is, Taylor, even before I was a Spectre, I had to learn how to build a fighting force from the discards and scraps offered by the Alliance. Afterward, the Council. When I became a Spectre with the mandate to track down and capture Saren I started off with a ship, a disgraced gunny, a solid LT, and a sarcastic pilot with a chip on his shoulder. I added a psychotic krogan mercenary, a bad turian C-sec cop, an asari archaeologist, and a quarian barely into her pilgrimage. Not exactly what you would call an elite crew at first glance but what we did was something no one else could have managed.

"Our situation now isn't much different, except our starting point is a lot lower. It's going to take some time to put the necessary training program into play, build up a stockpile of weapons, and get this place fortified properly, build up and train our squad…"

I frowned at the dark feeling I was getting from his explanation. "Sebastian, you act like we're in the middle of a war. As far as you know, the relays are not in this dimension. No relays, no Reapers. No Reapers, no race against extinction. Right now we're not at war with anyone and have no reason to prepare for one."

Sebastian nodded while looking steadily at the wall. I could tell by the look in his eyes he wasn't actually seeing it. I stayed quiet as he gathered his thoughts. It took some time before he started talking. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe… maybe I've been in the trenches too long… Seeing enemies where there are none."

I gave what I hoped was a reassuring smile, reaching across the table to take his hand. "You've been fighting a long time. One group or another. One thing or another. Look, tomorrow we'll get the eezo Tattletale got for us and we'll lay low, get back to normal, alright? We'll rebuild Chatika, start work on reopening the Bay. We'll stay out of the cape scene for awhile."

My smile widened with his. The gloomy cast to his features lightened considerably as he nodded. "Sounds good. The work will be good to shake these phantoms from my past. Well, everything looks in order with the paperwork. So, lets go over the debriefing for today's mission. Despite my ghosts I see no reason not to continue with your Command lessons. Lets start with what went wrong and why…"


	30. Shoot to Thrill 6

**Shoot to Thrill Story Arc: 4.6**

I woke to the sound of my alarm clock announcing it was four in the morning. I opened my eye glaring at the little electronic hell spawn until I realized that today was Friday. Today, if everything went well, we would have our eezo and Project Undine could finally start. But before that, I had to get past one last obstacle.

I had to go to school.

With that cheery thought I turned the alarm off and went about my morning routine. Thirty minutes later found me in my running clothes walking through the kitchen. I put on a pot of coffee for Dad before heading out the door.

I ran through the quiet pre dawn streets of the bay lost in my thoughts. Torn between going back to school to face the music for not being there most of this week, and what we were going to do first once we got our hands on some real eezo. I didn't snap out of it until I reached my usual stopping point on the Boardwalk. As I expected Sebastian was waiting for me on our bench that overlooked the bay and the coming sunrise. I smiled and took the cup of coffee he was holding out to me before I sat next to him.

"You look like you could use it. Long night?" He asked.

I nodded as I took a sip. "Yeah. Didn't sleep well."

"Sorry to hear that. You want to talk about it?"

"Not really." I mumbled as I looked to where the sky meet the ocean. It was already lighting up and I didn't want to miss it. These sunrises were the second best thing about getting up at such a horrible hour.

"Alright." Sebastian said.

The rest of the sunrise was spent quietly as we drank our coffee. I didn't break it until after the sun had climbed above the waterline and the show was over. "Has Tattletale sent the time for the meet yet?"

Sebastian shook his head. "Not yet but I didn't expect anything for a while still. Figure by ten we'll know something."

I sighed. "You'll hear something. I'll be stuck in the third circle of hell. Winslow."

He turned to me, a smirk on his face. "Need back up?"

I rolled my eyes at his question. "Ass."

He chuckled before reaching into the pocket of his hoodie. "I have something for you. Hopefully it will help you get through your day."

"What?" I asked curiously. Sebastian pulled his hand out of his pocket revealing a pair of thick gold bracelets. Kinda liked the ones he used to access his computer set up but smaller. "An omni tool?"

"Yeah, sort of. Not as good as the other one I gave you and with Chatika down its not exactly running at full capacity. However its not as eye catching or as identifiable as the other one either so it should pass as nothing more than jewelry. It's linked with the one I carry so you can contact me if anything happens. Also, it has the usual things: flashlight, camera, personal computer interface, though that's pretty limited. When we do get Chatika running again those will work like the ones I have for accessing the holographic interface. No manufacturing capabilities though I did manage to fit in one loadout for emergencies."

"Which one?" I asked. "Tell me is not Submission Net."

Sebastian laughed. "I was tempted. I'd even pay you to turn one of those Azures Twitchy if I thought you'd go for it. No, I finally figured out how to get the Neural Shock load out to work. It was either that or Overload. However, even on this planet I don't see you needing to defend your civilian ID against tech attacks. Not to mention I haven't seen a single mech since I came here. Just didn't seem as useful as Neural Shock would be, all things considered."

"Cool. That's the one that stuns people right?" I asked as I put them on. They activated taking shape for a moment before they winked out. I looked up to smile at Sebastian just in time to see him nod. "Thank you but it's not like I can use it at school without outing myself or giving away that I have connections to another cape."

"Better to have it and not need it…" Sebastian quoted before I finished it for him. "...than need it and not have it. Yeah, I remember."

"Funny, but correct. I worry about you at that place. It's just shy of criminal boot camp. I don't suppose I can talk you into carrying a sidearm?"

"No." I stated firmly.

Sebastian sighed. "Fine. Just be careful, alright?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "It'll be fine. What about you? How are you going to spend the day?"

Sebastian stretched out his legs as he answered. "I'm going to call in Uber and Leet. Their help will speed up Chatika's rebuild exponentially. Besides, we need to get them brought up to speed if they're going to be any help to the Project."

"If they don't sabotage you or burn the place to the ground. I just got that hideout too." I checked my watch. "I have to go. Dad should be getting up soon."

"You want a ride when you get out of prison?" He asked me jokingly.

"No, but keep an eye on Uber and Leet. I'll walk there after school. It's not that far."

"Alright, sounds good. See you then Taylor."

"Just be careful around those two, Sebastian. I don't trust them." I cautioned as I rose from the bench.

"Copy that."

I shook my head as I started jogging home. I spent the miles thinking about Sebastian training Uber and Leet to be anything but walking disasters. By the time I got home, I still hadn't decided which of them I should felt more sorry for. I opened the door letting myself into my kitchen and was instantly hit by the smell of eggs.

I hung my keys on the peg. "Dad, I'm home!"

"Taylor, I'm glad you're home. I was worried I wouldn't see you this morning. Thank you for setting up the coffee." Dad answered as he joined me from the living room.

"Any left? I could use another cup."

Dad nodded to the pot. I walked over to the cabinet pulling down my tie dyed mug. I filled it to the brim and took a drink before turning around to lean against the counter. Dad was scooping eggs out of the frying pan on to two plates. His clothes looked a bit rumpled and even a blind man could see the dark bags under his eyes. I smiled slightly trying to pretend I didn't see them. I'm pretty sure I knew what the cause was. "Smells good. You didn't have to make me breakfast."

"Nothing wrong with starting your day with a good breakfast sweetheart. Besides, I thought we could talk this morning since you didn't feel like talking last night."

_Fuck._ This was about me not coming home the night before. With everything that happened I completely forgot about that 'talk' he wanted until I walked in the door last night. I sighed resigned to the inevitable inquisition. I took my seat across from him stabbing the eggs on my plate a bit harder than needed. I managed to avoid him last night but it didn't look like he was going to let me get away with it again.

Completely unaware of my inner turmoil Dad nodded still looking uncomfortable. Which meant he was building up his courage to talk about something he knew I wouldn't like. The minutes passed in silence until he finally broke it proving me right.

"Taylor, we need to talk about you and the Shepherd boy."

I nodded slowly but didn't look up from my plate. "Alright." _Here it comes..._

"I am not very comfortable with the fact you spent the night with him. To be honest, I am more than uncomfortable with it."

"We didn't do anything. I keep telling you it's not like you think it is."

I heard him place his fork on the plate. "You spent the night with a boy. What exactly am I supposed to think, Taylor?"

"Dad I know how it looks…" I started to explain before he interrupted me.

"Taylor, I understand that you like him and despite what you might think, I was young once too. I just think you're getting too involved too fast. The, physical risks aside, I really don't think you understand what you're getting into here."

I put my own fork down before I finally raised my eyes to look into his. "We were camping, Dad. That's it. I wanted to get away from things for a bit so Sebastian surprised me by taking us camping. There was nothing nefarious about it. He didn't touch me and I didn't touch him. He didn't even kiss me. Do I like Sebastian? Yes I do, but so far he hasn't done anything more than give me one kiss on my cheek. I'm not having sex, I'm not romantically involved with him, or anyone. You want to know why I'm spending my time with him? It's because he understands me. I don't understand why this is a big deal. I've had sleep overs before…"

"That was with other girls Taylor. It's different here."

"What if I was gay?" I asked. "Uh, Dad? What if I liked girls? Would it still be different?"

It was a small victory to see the shocked look on my dad's face. "Are you…"

I rolled my eyes. "No, but that's not really the point is it? What is the point is whether you trust me or not."

"It's not your motives or you I mistrust, Taylor. It's Shepard's." Dad countered tiredly.

"Dad, you don't know him. I do and I am telling you, I trust Sebastian. He's not going to hurt me." Which was entirely true. Dad really had nothing to worry about from Sebastian. It was everyone else we had to worry about. Especially once we reopened the Bay. There was bound to be someone who wouldn't like that or would try to stop us if we got found out before we finished.

My dad pushed his plate aside resting his arms on the table. "Alright, but Taylor, young men are fickle at this age. You're getting very attached and I'm worried about what will happen when, or if, he decides to move on. Have you thought about that?"

"I would have to be in a relationship with him for that, Dad. We're just friends."

"This whole situation worries the hell out of me, Taylor. I'm glad your making friends again but ever since you met this boy you've spent all your free time with him. You see him on your morning runs, and don't deny it. A friend of mine has seen you two at the Boardwalk just about every morning for weeks. Then you see him when you get out of school because you're never here. You come home late, or not at all now. When you are here you sneak out when you think I'm asleep."

I winced. I guess I wasn't as quiet as I thought I was. It looked like the school still hadn't contacted him about the days I missed either. This whole thing would have been a lot worse if they had. "Okay, I admit I was sneaking out to see Sebastian. I am sorry about that, Dad, but you know you wouldn't have let me go if I had asked."

"No, I wouldn't have." Dad admitted.

"Dad, I know you worry about me but I'm fifteen now, almost sixteen. Why is this a problem? I finally get a friend, a real friend who gets me, and it's like its a crime or something."

"That's not what I'm saying Taylor…"

I leaned back in my chair thinking aloud. "Maybe I _should_ sleep with Sebastian. Do all the things you think I'm doing. Maybe then I will have at least earned this grilling."

My barbed comment made Dad wince. Granted, if dad knew what I was really up too I would have deserved a whole lot more than a grilling. Prison time at the least...

"Taylor…"

I shook my head as my mind raced on how I could work damage control. The situation wasn't catastrophic but it was getting there. I needed to nip this in the bud as quickly as I could. "No. Dad, I'm happy, okay? This thing with Sebastian, it's not what you think but it does make me happy. Happier than I've been in a long time. I just don't get what you want from me here."

"I want you to talk to me, Taylor. You've closed yourself off and it seems like the only person who you do talk to is Shepard."

"There's nothing to talk about Dad." I stated firmly. "Sometimes we watch movies or listen to music. I help him with his salvage runs and we hang out. What is so wrong with that?

"Dad," I said as I reached across the table to take his hand. "I promise I won't sneak out anymore okay? From now on I'll let you know when I'm leaving. I'll call more if I'm going to be home late. I'll even be home more often for dinner. The last week has just been hectic with some of our projects but we've done the heavy stuff and things shouldn't pick up again for a while. Just let me have this, please?"

Dad seemed to deflate. "Okay kiddo."

I smiled thankfully as I pushed my plate forward. "Thank you. I'm not very hungry, I should get ready for school."

I got up walking away from the table heading up the stairs to my room. It didn't take long to change into my school clothes. Lastly I picked up my practically unused school bag heading back down stairs.

Dad was still sitting at the table as I passed him. "Taylor."

I stopped with my hand resting on the door handle and turned around. "Yeah Dad?"

"These salvage runs you're doing with Shepard, what exactly are you salvaging?"

"Just stuff no one wants, Dad. Stuff that won't be missed." I answered carefully.

"And he sells this 'stuff' you collect, I take it."

"Yeah. Recycling centers mostly I think." I hedged.

He must have picked up on it because he frowned at my answer. "Please tell me that what you are doing isn't illegal or dangerous."

I smiled reassuringly as I lied through my teeth. "Nothing illegal or dangerous, Dad."

I turned away again opening the door and leaving the house. I clamped down on that queasy feeling in my gut. I think I'd rather go another round with the Wards than lie to my dad again. It would probably be less painful. I contented myself with the thoughts that once we reopened the bay, this would all be worth it. Lying to my dad, working with villains, robbing that bank, everything. Someone had to make the hard decisions for the greater good of the city. It was a fact no one else was doing it.

I was jostled out of my thoughts when the bus jerked to a stop. I didn't even remember getting on it but as I looked out the window I could easily see Winslow High. I swallowed the ill feeling in my stomach. I waited to make my exit until the press of bodies let up enough that I could without being jostled. I kept my head low as I walked along at the back of the crowd.

As I passed through the doors of the school I felt on edge. I resisted the urge to look around to see if anyone was watching by gritting my teeth. Taking a deep breath I looked down the hallway planning the quickest route to my homeroom class when I saw the one thing I dreaded seeing.

Emma. She wasn't alone either. She looked surprised to see me but it only lasted a moment. Then her expression turned to something I was very familiar with. Even from here I could see her eyes glitter maliciously as she nugged the girl standing next to her. Sophia turned in my direction as Emma whispered something in her ear. The smirk that slowly spread along the girls dark skin needed no translation. Not to me. I'd seen it enough times in the last two years. I watched as they giggled at me before turning away and heading deeper into the school.

I turned around. I didn't stop until I couldn't see any of the school buildings when I looked back. I ducked into an alcove of the building I was walking next to before checking with my power to see if anyone was within eyesight of me. Satisfied there wasn't I activated my omni tool opening a channel to Sebastian.

It didn't take long for him to answer. "Taylor, I didn't expect you to call so soon. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Can you pick me up?" I asked him.


	31. Shoot to Thrill 7

**Shoot to Thrill Story Arc: 4.7**

"Taylor."

I looked up from the print out I was reading. "They're here." He informed me unnecessarily.

"You still think this is a good idea?" I asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Sebastian smiled reassuringly. "Remind me later to show you some memories of Jack. If I could get the 'Psychotic Biotic' to play well with others, much less Cerberus, I think we can do something with these two."

I racked my brain trying to place the name from his past experiences, but couldn't. I decided to just go along it for now: he seemed sure enough.

"Besides," Sebastian continued. "No secrets between shipmates."

"They've betrayed us once before, Sebastian," I reminded him. "What makes you think they won't do it again?"

Still leaning against the door frame, he answered me. "Go with me for a moment here. The Alliance taught three basic things in boot. More than anything else. DI's drummed it into each of us until it became part of our thinking process. Trust, duty, loyalty, no matter the circumstance. Trust for the man or woman standing next to you, to the squad; duty, to the Alliance and Humanity; loyalty to Command and the Core.

"Not as easy as it sounds. As a species, humanity has a natural curiosity. Not to mention the urge to challenge things. You won't find many other species in the galaxy, without a natural regeneration factor, that will do some of the stupid things we do to satisfy those urges.

"But we do them. We climb mountains with minimal equipment, or with none at all. People challenge thirty foot waves of water on flimsy boards. Hell, we even jump out of perfectly good aircraft, falling tens of thousands of feet with nothing more than a sheet to stop us. Humans constantly find ways to test their intellect or mortality against obstacles that can kills us without even bothering to try. Why? Curiosity. We want to know if it can be done. For the challenge, because we think we can do it. Our curiosity and our need to challenge things makes humanity what it is. Made us an underestimated power in my universe. Not just by the galaxy, but by the Reapers too."

I frowned slightly. "You make us sound like we're born with a death wish or something."

Sebastian smiled not denying it. "Our greatest strength, our greatest weakness. Humanity was trying to forge a place for themselves in a galactic community that had been running without them for thousands of years. The Alliance brought us under its banner utilizing those aspects of our natural evolution. Encouraged people to explore all aspects of our natural curiosity in every avenue that could be imagined. Science, technology, exploration, astrophysics, you name it. For those who needed to challenge their own mortality, the combat arm.

"One of the advantages the Alliance had was the 'us vs them' attitude. Easily done by adding a touch of fear from the First Contact War and the general discrimination humanity faced as a new galactic civilization. Any of this sounding vaguely familiar?"

In a roundabout way, it actually did. "You're talking about Parahumans vs regular people. Powered vs Unpowered. The Protectorate."

"That's right, though it could be expanded to include a lot of things on this world. There's little rhyme or reason to powers on this planet, which I think is why its people have fragmented so much more than mine did."

"And how does this relate to Uber and Leet?" I asked trying to get this back on topic.

"People like Uber and Leet generally just float along through life. They're not exceptional in any way and, not to be unkind, probably wouldn't amount to anything much other than mediocrity. They're not driven enough to push themselves into any field. They have no real goals, no cause, nothing to believe in. So they latch to the things that make them happy. People in their circumstance usually do. For them, it's video games. Now, take someone like that and give them powers. Make them exceptional with that mentality, and what do you get?"

I blinked. "Really bad villains?"

Sebastian laughed at my jab. "Pretty much. They have no interest in helping people because no one ever tried to help them. At least in their minds. So, they latch onto their powers to get rich because they're not likely to get there any other way. And lets be honest, villainy pays pretty well in any dimension if you can keep from getting caught. They have fame, of a sort. Money. What more could they want?"

I nodded. "You know, this is kind of making my point."

"_My_ point Taylor," Sebastian continued with a smile. "is that they want more, even if they don't know it. We just need to bring it out of them. That is what a good CO does. Makes the ordinary, extraordinary. Uber and Leet could be great assets to us, and to humanity. They just don't know how. We show that to them. Prove to them they can not only be great, but that they want to. We do that and loyalty goes by the board. This isn't wishful naivety talking, but experience.

"You told me Uber can master anything with his ability. With no effort required he can be a physicist, pilot, surgeon, accountant, anything. You called Leet a tinker. He made an omni tool out of scraps. Not to mention all the other things he's made during his career. Can you imagine what they could be capable of if they just had a cause to believe in?"

"Alright, but what if you're wrong and they prove to us they are exactly what they look like? Horrible villains who care for nothing but themselves?"

Sebastian's smile turned grim. "Then we deal with them. One way or the other. Maybe we make sure they say in jail next time. Maybe something more permanent. Regardless Taylor, one thing I know better than most, is that trust has to start somewhere. You can't expect others to trust you, unless you are willing to trust them. That means taking a risk."

He had a point, even if this whole thing still felt like a bad idea. Still, I couldn't deny that Uber and Leet's skill sets would make a lot of things easier going forward and we really did need more people to get everything done. I sighed as I nodded. "Okay."

"Ready for me to get them?"

"I guess…" I went back to sorting the papers on the makeshift desk I set up. With Chatika down access to the project was sluggish. Not to mention we lost all access to the holographic system so most of our interface with her systems was down too. In a weird role reversal I was now better equipped to pull the data we needed than Sebastian since I was more familiar with how to use a straight keyboard. Which was pretty much how I spent most of my morning. Printing our plans to hard copy until we can got her back up and running.

I took off my glasses to rub my eyes. This wasn't ideal, but it so beat sitting in my classes waiting to be attacked. I put the papers in my hand in one of piles in front of me while I checked another pile. Sebastian didn't have any problem getting an old printer to work. We also managed to get a computer screen up which was next to me. We could have gotten new ones but our money was limited. As were our resources since we didn't really have any kind of income. Well, we didn't have any kind of income we could explain.

The table was the one Gamble left, as was the chair I was sitting in. Sebastian and I spent the morning exploring our new lair, which didn't take long. Other than the generator, table, and chairs there wasn't anything here except for a few things we brought in. Which wasn't much yet. We moved it all up to the second floor for now which pretty much put me in the middle of a big, under furnished room.

Not exactly the impressive lair set up I hoped to have in place when I meet with minions. As I put my glasses back on I couldn't help but think I was shaping up to be a very unimpressive cape. When Uber and Leet walked in, I almost chuckled to myself that at least I was in good company.

"What the fuck?" Uber half asked himself as he came to a stop in the room.

I leaned back in my chair only raising an eyebrow at his outburst. Both of them were dressed mostly casual in jeans and t-shirts. Could have been anyone in the world except for the mesh masks they were wearing. I figured that was them when they came inside my range. Must have walked here then masked once they were close enough to be seen. That would have explained why I sensed them pause a block away. Leet turned around to look at Sebastian before turning back to me. "No shit. _You're_ Matriarch?"

I smiled knowingly. "Yeah. Why don't you guys take a seat and we'll get started."

Uber broke out of his shock enough to flop into the seat closest to him. "Oh man, we got fucking owned by a freshmen."

"Sophomore." I corrected as I took the stack of recently printed pages and put them in front of me.

"Like that's any fucking better." Uber mumbled under his breath.

I couldn't help but chuckle. This almost made the risk of revealing myself worth it. "Guess not."

"Why?" Leet asked.

I turned to him as he gestured to me and Sebastian. "Why reveal who you are to _us_?"

"Good question." I mumbled under my breath before I continued aloud, "Yesterday you told me you weren't responsible for what happened to me at the bank. We believe you."

"And?" Uber prompted.

"And, that changes things. I get why you tried to jump us. Getting beaten by two unknowns can't be good for your rep, such as it is..."

"Hey!"

I smiled to Uber to let him know I didn't mean to insult him. "Sorry, but the rankings speak for themselves. You guys are what, six hundred something?"

"Five fifty-six." Leet replied sullenly.

I nodded as if that made my point. "Besides, I stand by what I told you yesterday, you brought this on yourselves by breaking our trade deal in the first place."

"That still doesn't explain why your revealing your secret identities to us. What's to stop us from using this against you?"

"Yeah," Uber broken in, adding to Leet's comment. "What makes you think we won't tell anyone and let them deal with you for us?"

"Code aside?" I asked evenly. When neither replied I answered anyways. "Alright. First it's going to suck to have to work on the projects I have planned in costume all the time. Some of it we can't since it involves being in public. Mainly though it's because I want you to trust me. So far I haven't give you reasons not too but we figured given the circumstances we would need to take an extra step."

Leet snorted but it was Uber who answered. "You mean making us your bitches."

"I don't mean anything like that. Look guys, you've been in the game long enough to know, this shit happens. You cross the wrong cape, you walk into the wrong territory and you're done. Instead of being forced to work for the Empire or any of the other groups, you're working for me. All things considered, it could have been a lot worse for you."

I turned slightly to Sebastian shooting him a look he wouldn't have any trouble understanding. "That said, my offer still stands about working _with_ me for something more than just your site views. Something big. To be honest, we need more help to get it off the ground. That's not going to happen if either of us is worried the other is going to stab us in the back. One of us has to make the first offer of trust. We decided it would be us."

Uber leaned back in his chair folding his arms sullenly. Leet however leaned forward. "And what is this 'big thing' you want us to help you do? You already robbed Bay Central. No easy thing besides being something no one else has done. We know, we've tried."

"I have a scar on my leg to prove it. Fucking Armsmaster." I heard Uber grumble.

I turned back to Leet. "Right now, help with rebuilding our computer. Dragon did a number on it during the robbery. Once that's up and running, the real work starts."

My omni tool lit up catching my eye. I turned my hand slightly so I could see the message on it. It was from Tattletale. I looked at Sebastian. "Shipments here."

"I'll get ready…"

"No, I'll go. I just need you to make sure the scanning software is set up right on my omni tool. I'll call you after I get there and test the fragments for eezo. You wanted to start on the servers and we need them up and running as soon as we can."

"You sure?"

"It'll be fine. She said she was going to be alone. I don't think we have anything to worry about from Tattletale. Think you can get something to haul the eezo back with?"

"Pretty sure I can come up with something."

"Good." I looked across the table to Uber and Leet. "Sebastian will explain everything you need to know as well as get you outfitted with omni tools. You guys can get started on that while I'm dealing with the Undersiders."

"You're giving us one of those?" Leet asked disbelievingly as he pointed at my arm.

It was Sebastian who answered his question. "Yes. I have two engineering models for you and I'll show you how to use them. It will make the work go faster. Both ours, and I'm sure you'll have your own later on."

I smiled. "Like I said, this situation is not without its benefits guys. Like access to our resources such as omni tools." I turned to Sebastian as I took off my main omni tool placing it on the table. "I'm going to get ready for the meet."

"Alright. Do me a favor, even if it is just Tattletale, take the rifle with you?"

I rolled my eyes at his paranoia. "Fine, I'll take the rifle but I'm not going to need it." I stood up heading for the stairs to the third floor so I could change into my costume. Hopefully the place was still standing when I got back. Then again, with those three, I'd be lucky if the bay was still here come morning. As I took off my shirt I couldn't help but feel excited though. Despite the uncertainty of how things looked with Uber and Leet, things were finally starting to fall into place.


	32. The Omega Shuffle 1

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.1**

I walked around the corner to find Tattletale where she said she would be. I wasn't very familiar with this area of the docks, not very surprising really, since this area didn't host any factories or loading docks. Those areas I knew from Dad since the local union used to work them.

Instead it hosted an apparently abandoned apartment complex and several other less identifiable buildings. This area hadn't weathered time well. Most of the buildings I saw looked just a strong push away from falling over. Broken windows, missing doors and even holes in the walls allowed the elements and time to do their work giving the place a desolate feel. I couldn't deny it was the perfect place to store something you didn't want found.

"Sup. You're a bit overdressed for a pick up."

"If Renegade had his way, I'd have arrived here in a Mako," I replied.

Tattletale tilted her head slightly before she replied laughingly, "A what?"

"Never mind. My shipment inside?"

"Yup," Tattletale playfully answered as she unlocked and opened the door. I sent in my bugs. Not that I had many fliers but there was enough to quickly search the storage locker in front of us. I didn't bring many bugs with me and the areas selection was poor at best. Not that I needed many.

"What, don't trust me?"

"Not really."

"This is because I'm a villain, isn't it?"

"Entirely."

Tattletale faked a suffering sigh. "Well, at least you're honest about it."

My bugs didn't find anyone lying in wait so I walked inside. There I found a huge pile of rocks and very little else. The only light came from a single bulb hanging from the ceiling and what little came through from the only working street lamp outside. Not that it was much since it was across the street. There was nothing in here except for my shipment and a few empty crates that probably carried them here. I strode to the waist high mound picking up one and activating my omni tool to scan it.

"Soooo, whatcha doing?"

The scan came up negative. I let out a sigh of frustration tossing the useless rock to the side. I picked up another running my omni tool over it. "Like I told you before, I'm looking for something specific."

"And that would be… what?"

The second sample joined the first as I tossed it aside. "Reconsidering join us? Can't say we couldn't use a thinker."

Tattletale chuckled but didn't deny it. "No thank you. I like the Undersiders."

"Can't blame me for trying. Though they do seem to be a very… colorful group," I stated neutrally as I picked up another rock to test.

"Like you have room to talk, hanging out with Renegade."

It was my turn to chuckle. "Touché."

As I discarded another piece, Tattletale made herself comfortable on one of the crates. "Did you see the paper? It was really disappointing."

"Not today. How so?" I asked distractedly as I continued searching.

"To be honest, I didn't expect the front page—well no, actually I did expect front page, I mean, we robbed Bay Central. You would think that would have at least have rated as second page news. Instead we ended up page eight and the article was barely even worth mentioning. We didn't even get a bit on the news. It was all very disappointing."

I paused in my work not really knowing what to say to that. "Um, sorry?"

"S'okay. Word still got around amongst the villains so we got a nice rep boost but it would have been nice to have a bit more coverage considering the achievement."

I shrugged. Though I could sort of see her point. When Sebastian and I had looked into the kind of security measures the bank had to offer, I had been very impressed: cape guards for all the money transits. Ex-military for bank guards. Even the electronic security was top notch. Well, not to someone of Sebastian's skills, but for here, yeah, cutting edge stuff. There was a reason no one had ever managed to rob the place before.

"Maybe that was why it worked that way. Maybe the PRT put a gag order on what happened so you wouldn't get the infamy from the job. Sort of a subtle payback for us doing it in the first place. Renegade and I are practically unknowns and you guys aren't really known for being high profile."

"That's not it, though I wouldn't put that past them to do something like that. That's the kind of fucked up thing they'd do, messing with a villain's rep. No, it was because of..."

Whatever it was she was going to say was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. I continued scanning and discarding the meteorite fragments as she answered. I tried to ignore the one-sided conversation. Not that Tattletale was saying much. Whoever called, and whatever was being said seemed to spook her badly. Despite my trying not to listen in I couldn't help but be curious as to what was going on that could have subdued her so much.

"Hey, I gotta go," Tattletale stated abruptly as she tucked away her phone.

I turned to her. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, just something came up and I have get somewhere fast."

"Alright…"

Tattletale hopped down from the crate walking to the door. She didn't stop until she was mostly through it. "Hope you find what you're looking for. Laters!"

I shook my head at the strange girl. Still, despite my amusement at her antics I couldn't help but frown. As strange as her exit was, the reason for it was stranger. I wondered what Grue could have said to her to make her react like that. It was pretty obvious the call she received had to have been from the darkness producing cape. He led the Undersiders and her reaction was one being called to task by a superior. At least, that was how it looked to me.

The chiming from my omni tool diverted my thoughts as well as stunning me. I rescanned the rock in my hands checking the readout again.

It took me three full seconds to believe what my eyes were telling me. The object in my hand looked no different than the countless others I tossed away, except unlike those, this one registered on the scan. Strongly registered.

_"__Element Zero,"_ I breathed. It was _real_. That skeptical side of me hadn't actually believe it was possible. Even after experiencing Sebastian's memories there was always this little part of me that though it just might have been some kind of joke or delusion. Tinker powers gone horribly wrong maybe. But in my hand was proof that everything he told me was real.

I checked the readout before scrolling through some of the notes Sebastian left to give me an idea of how much raw eezo I was holding. According to his notes and the readout, once refined, this one rock would be enough to fully power the lair, Chatika's quantum computer server AND all the defensive countermeasures he wanted to secure that location.

I held it up to the poor light offered by the sole overhead bulb in the storage unit. It was a bigger find than even he expected to get. His notes said quite clearly that he only expected fragments. This one rock was a lot larger than any fragment he referenced as typical to be found on a planet that didn't have eezo naturally occurring.

It really didn't look any different than the other bits of rock I discarded. Then again, coal looked extremely different than a diamond and yet the only difference was pressure and time. From his notes, this rock will undergo a similar change during the refining process.

I turned to the pile of rocks I still hadn't gotten to scan yet. Even if I only found a few fragments out of what remained, this would be more than enough to complete the project. I felt the smile on my face grow and was glad I was alone and wearing a mask. I had no doubt if anyone actually saw it; they would have thought I was insane. I dove into the remaining pile with a renewed vigor.

_XxXExiledXxX_

The sounds of hard leather impacting asphalt was unique, and unfortunately, not unfamiliar. Nor was it a sound that inspired feelings of hopefulness, safety, or rescue. Not to her. No, they inspired just the opposite. The sound of boot steps meant only one thing: her pursuers were close.

Slowly she chanced to open one eye. Two big men were standing in the poor lamp light with their backs to her, gesturing about and whispering harshly. Like the others who pressured her they were dressed in army clothes and openly carried weapons. Not that she was afraid they would shoot or hurt her. No, they wanted her alive and whole. She knew this the same way she knew what would happen to her if they managed to catch her.

She didn't move. Scared to even breathe. She didn't even dare to think about it until after they left. Not until she heard the sound of a tires screeching away did she finally relax. Even if it was only slightly.  
With one hand she moved her hair away from her face to get a better look through the torn trash bag that rested partially over her. No one was in the alley. Not that this revelation reassured her any. Her purser wasn't going to give up until he captured her. There was only one hope for her. She had to get to the 'void'.

Slowly, but surely, she extracted her small body from the overturned trashcan she had hidden in. It was a godsend. When she reached the alley this morning, it was the only thing that offered even the slightest chance to remain undetected. She was so close now. Far closer than she thought she would have gotten when she ran away from home yesterday.

At the mouth of the alley the small girl took in fresh air for the first time in hours. That first breath seemed to revitalize her limbs and give her new strength. She only hoped it would last throughout the final stretch of her run. If she didn't get to the void, then all of this, everything she'd been through in the last day would have been for nothing.

Her small head turned down each side of the road as she tried to ignore the foul smell her hiding place left on her, or the disgusting dampness in her hair as it moved. Left was the fastest way to get to where she was going but only offered a fifty-six point four four three two chance that she would make it without getting caught. The right side wasn't much better offering sixty-one point seven eight one five percent chance. The odds of each shifted slightly as she tried to think through different ways that would help her but neither ever got better than a low sixty percent chance.

As she'd done all of yesterday, Dinah took the highest probability and turned right. It would take longer, but there was always the possibility something would happen to change the percentages in her favor if she just kept going. The future wasn't fixed after all.

However that was the hard part. Harder even than her decision to run away from home to spare her family the fate that awaited them. Her legs hurt fiercely, worse than anything she ever known before. Her frail arms throbbed with each twitch of her body as she moved down the street. Even the pain in her head from her using her power slowed her down.

Dinah only made it two blocks before she had to stop and rest. It would be so easy to just give in, let him find her there. She could sleep and he would give her food. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as the visions said. She was so hungry…

A woman screamed in surprise from somewhere behind her. The small girl turned fearfully, but didn't see who or what was going on in the darkness surrounding her.

A swallow that was more reflex to water her parched throat than any expectation of it actually working, preceded her moving again. This time she openly ran as fast as she could across the street and into the alley between the buildings. Proud of herself for only stumbling twice over the battered road. She only hoped no one saw her bolt, but at this point she didn't care.

No, if he wanted her, he was going to have to work for it. He might feed her, he might even take care of her, but he would do other things to her. Things she didn't want him to do. Bad things that she didn't even want to think about. Trying to hold back the tears she felt, or the sob that would give her away, she exited the other side of the alley only to realize things had gone from bad, to worse.

The numbers were changing without her even thinking about it. Worse than just fluctuating, the overall top numbers were shrinking steadily. This was what had happened yesterday when this whole thing started. Her only saving grace was that she was far enough away when it happened that she had higher numbers to work with.

That was not the case here. That could only mean one thing.

_He_ was here. Not just directing his people to find her, no, he was here personally to make sure she didn't get away again.

She turned left without thinking. It offered the shortest route to the void. Her chest burned. The fresh air that only moments ago made her feel so much better, was now hot inside her. She sucked in breath after breath thinking of only putting one small foot in front of the other as quickly as she could.

The landscape blurred at the edges of her vision. No longer could she discern any of the things she passed. The only sound was the impact of her play shoes and the blood thumping in her ears. All that mattered to her was the shifting numbers each route offered. She took the best of the horrible choices offered. The tears that she fought to keep back fell down her face as the percentages fell below forty percent no matter where she turned.

Running for everything she was worth she changed direction again moving to the left. That was when she gained new hope. A block down the road was a bunch of identical buildings all linked together. It was the opposite direction to the void but it offered a sixty-four five three eight nine percent chance of safety. Everything else around her had shifted into the teens.

She spun around when she heard the sound of hard boots on pavement and the voices. They found her.

"There she is!"

Fear gave her the strength for the sprint. Each step brought the buildings closer but she could hear the charging steps of the men behind her. As she ran forward she saw the number plummet.

Her leg suddenly gave way sending her to the ground. Body numb she didn't even feel the impact with the street. She rolled several times before she finally stopped still a block away from safety.

Pain blossomed throughout her small frame. She knew she failed before she felt the rough hands of her pursuer grab her and hauled her upward. She didn't even try to stop the scream that finally escaped her as she flailed in vain trying to make him release her. The man holding her snarled as easily lifted her by her hair turning her slightly so she was facing him.

"Hello, girly."

The other man, barely breathing hard jogged up to them. "Easy, Vance. Boss wants her intact."

"She'll live. Besides, we've been chasing this little bitch for almost thirty-eight hours. Just want to make sure she understands what's going to happen if she tries anything else. You _do_ understand, don't you?"

She looked away from him as much as she could with the way he was holding her. "…yes."

"Good, but to be clear, I'll break your fucking legs and carry you back if you even think of running off again. Boss might be pissed but I'm sure he'll let it slide considering."

He would, she knew that already. Completely exhausted she nodded meekly.

Two things happened. The first was she dropped to the ground. The surprise of being released coupled with her exhaustion meant she landed badly in a heap at the mans feet. The second was the man who was holding her started screaming.

She looked up not understanding why. That was when she saw the man had fallen back himself. He was sitting across from screaming while holding the bloody stump that used to be his arm. Dinah scrambled frantically away from him sliding on her rump until her back rested against the building next to them. Not that either of the men noticed her doing so. The second man wasn't noticing anything, just laying on the ground, twitching. Confusion ran through her mind until she looked behind her.

A woman stood there. No, it was a cape but not one she recognized from T.V. Her costume was dark and the only real color came from the golden lenses over her eyes. The weapon she held in both hands looked like some kind of futuristic rifle gun. Kinda like someone would expect to see in some of the movies she wasn't suppose to watch. There were also a bunch of bugs flying around her. There were even spiders and other bugs crawling all over her.

Her assailant finally noticed the cape too. "M-My arm! You shot off my fucking arm!"

The capes voice was devoid of any emotion when she replied. "You'll live."

"You stupid cunt… You have no idea what the fuck you have gotten into," The wounded man snarled. "When my boss finds you, you're going to wish you never interfered."

"Maybe, but you're still going to be missing your arm. Consider it a small payment for what you were doing to the girl. I don't know what you want with this kid, but you're not going to get it. If this 'Boss' of yours wants her, he's going to have to come through me."

The cape raised her arm making some kind of see through gauntlet appear. It sparked and at the same time the wounded soldier started convulsing. It didn't last long before he was out like the other one. The cape passed me putting the strange weapon behind her. It stuck there folding upon itself while she pulled some kind of thin rope out of her costume. She then used it to tie the man's bleeding arm.

"He's never going to let me live this down… I told him I didn't need it, but he makes me take it anyways. So what happens? I need it. Fucking unbelievable," The cape mumbled to herself.

Once done, strange bug cape turned her golden gaze on her. Her voice lowered almost making Dinah cry just from the compassion in her soft tones. "You okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Pl… please… You, you don't understand. He… _he's_ here!"

"Who's here?"

"_Please! _We have to get to the void! It's the only place he can't find me and we have to go now! He has people everywhere and the numbers are dropping again!"

The woman's head tilted slightly before she leaned forward scooping the waif in her arms. All the bugs scrambled away moving to the back of the cape as the child was brought close. For the first time in over a day Dinah felt warm. Even with all the bugs only inches from her she even felt safe. The numbers were still blurred and fluctuating but were overall so much better than they were a moment ago. She felt the cape stand up holding her close against her chest.

"Point the way."

***Authors Note:

Sigh, so begins a new arc, and one incidentally that pretty much shaped Exiled. Personally, I'm enjoying the edits and reliving this story. As always, many thanks to my betas Materia Blade, MarkerIV, Suryn, and TheBSdude. Granted, none of us are perfect so I don't even try to claim we got all the mistakes in the story, but I think we managed to get all the jarring ones.

I hope people are enjoying the story, not sure how many are following along that are new to Exiled, but before you move from one chapter to the next, I would appreciate it if you left a review to let me know what you think of the story. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you are enjoying it.


	33. The Omega Shuffle 2

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.2**

I carried the little girl back the way I came as quickly as I could without jostling her too much. She clutched to me like a lifeline while I reached out to every bug I could get my hands on. Not that I was getting much. I sent what I did get out looking for anyone who might be in my range. The kid pointed weakly down the street and I'd be an idiot not to trust the young cape in my arms. My bugs hadn't found anyone yet so I made my way to the next intersection.

"Where next?" I asked.

When she didn't reply, I looked down noticing she was passed out in my arms. "Damn it. Fine. We'll do this the hard way."

I turned sharply to my right. My bugs found a group of four closing in. I looked around taking stock of my options before quickly jogging to the only place I could think of to hide. The few bugs I still had with me I sent into building I ran too.

It was probably a stupid idea but I took the stairs heading to the top floor. This building wasn't in any better shape than any of the others I'd seen on my way to meet Tattletale but it did have the advantage of being mostly intact. I raced through graffiti laced hallways littered with the discarded remains of whoever squatted here before I found the stairwell that would carry me to my destination.

The whole way I kept some of my attention on my bugs. Ever since I saw the girl getting manhandled I'd been trying to summon every bug in my range. That wasn't to say I didn't have a lot of bugs to command already. You would think that all these buildings would be veritable breeding grounds for bugs, and you would be right. Just not the kind of bugs that could do the kind of damage I would have liked. I had a lot of roaches, a few good spiders, but really, nothing that was going to get us out of this mess.

I rounded the last landing of the staircase and shouldered the door open. Even with all my running that climb winded me slightly. Carrying the kid wasn't helping either even if she didn't weigh much. I was going to have to update my training routine again to help with my endurance. As I looked around I pushed the thought of working out with Sebastian out of my mind. That had too much potential to get… distracting.

The room was pitch dark. No windows and no electricity made this place a nightmare for anyone trying to navigate it. I sent the more bugs into the hallway giving me a layout. Unlike the people looking to capture the girl in my arms, I didn't need light to see by. I could have used the flashlight in my omni tool but that would have given away my position and attention was the last thing I needed right now. It was still spooky as shit running through dark hallways of this abandoned building with only my bugs to warn me of obstacles. Regardless, I followed the path outlined by my bugs never tripping or making any noise, much to my relief. My path took me to the other side of the hall and into the only room that still had a door that would close.

The room had a few old pieces of furniture still inside. Most likely whoever used to live here decided their stuff wasn't worth keeping when they left. Not that I blamed them. Even if this stuff was in twice the shape it was currently in, it still would have been worthless.

A quick search showed me that one of the bedrooms had a window that offered a view of the street where I left the two guys. I put the unconscious kid down in the corner. Unburdened I ran to the front door locking it before heading back to the room closing that door as well. Dug in as much as I was likely to get I redirected my bugs again. They instantly responded to my commands moving about the building. Now, if anyone came in here that I didn't already have tagged, I'd know it. Finally, I placed myself by the window activating my omni tool.

Thankfully it didn't take long before I heard Sebastian's voice. "Hey, I was wondering…"

"I'm in trouble," I interrupted Sebastian as I continued to watch the street outside. The four I sensed earlier finally rounded the corner making a direct line to their wounded friends. Even from here I could hear one of the swearing. I knew from my other bugs they weren't alone. "I'm in a _lot_ of trouble."

Sebastian's voice went from his usual friendly tones to the Commander he used to be so quickly I wondered for a second if I was still talking to the same person. "Sitrep."

"I just finished scanning the shipment for eezo when I heard a scream out in the street. Two big military guys were holding this ten year old by her hair. Maybe a block from me. I stopped them."

Sebastian's reply was prompt. "I can procure a vehicle and be there shortly. Won't take me long to get rid of the bodies…"

"I said stopped, I didn't say I killed anyone!"

"Why not?"

"Damn it Renegade! I'm in real trouble here!" It took everything I had not to scream my frustration at him.

Sebastian was quiet for a moment. "…Alight, give me the full situation then."

I could hear him moving about as I started explaining again. "I Neural Shocked one of them and shot the other. B-blew his arm off. You didn't tell me that this thing would do that kind of damage to someone."

"It's a mass accelerated rifle Taylor. By design its meant to pierce kinetic barriers, tech armor, biotic barriers _and_ the body armor of the soldier you're shooting at. What did you expect it to do to an unprotected opponent? I told you it did nasty things to biological matter. You've seen yourself what happened to people when their barriers and armor failed from my memories. Is the girl alright? Did she say why they were after her?"

I sighed. I knew he was right. I knew that even before I pulled the trigger. I was just… I swallowed the bile in my throat. What I was, was feeling trapped. I took a long, deep breath to steady myself before I turned my eyes to the girl in question.

She was curled up where I set her. Knees practically tucked under her chin as if she was subconsciously trying make herself as small as possible. "She passed out. I didn't see any wounds on her other than some scratches and minor abrasions but I'm worried there might be something else. She smells like she's been living in rotting garbage and her clothes are filthy. She has bags under her eyes that I could use as a purse. Just looking at her I say she's been on the run for a while with little sleep or food and hiding in places she didn't think they would look for her. I took some first aid classes a few months ago but that doesn't really help in this situation.

"She didn't say much but she did say something about needing to get to some place she called the 'void' and mentioned numbers. I think she's a thinker, maybe even a precog. If she is, that is reason enough that just about every villain in the city would want to capture her." As I turned away to look back out the window.

"Are you serious? You can't be actually suggesting this girl can see the future? If she can see the future why is she on the run? Why didn't she just avoid the whole mess from the start?"

"You're a time traveling dimensional crossover from an Earth not even remotely adjacent to this one. Is precognition really that hard to believe?" I asked exasperated still watching the developing situation in the street below. So far those guys weren't doing anything noticeable other than standing there looking around.

It was silent a moment before I heard Sebastian sigh. "True enough. Continue."

"Before she lost consciousness she said_ 'he'_ was here and that he had people everywhere. I think she meant the guy leading these others. And judging by what I'm seeing right now, he has a lot of people to command."

"How many?"

"There are four on the ground checking on the two I took down earlier. My bugs have found another twelve moving this way."

"Can you give me a tactical appraisal? Vehicles, armor, weapon assessment?"

"I don't see any cars, but they have a lot of guns. Rifles from the look of it but they're too far away for me to really see. Hang on, I'll send in more bugs to get a feel for what kind of weapons they're carrying."

"No, don't give away your position."

"They're not going to know where I am just because my bugs swarm them."

"You're right, but they'll know _Matriarch_ is in the area. In Brockton Bay, you're the only cape whose abilities affect bugs. That pretty much guarantees that once you start using them, they're going to know you are in the area. Right now it sounds like you have surprise completely in your favor. Let's make full use of that. I'm linking in to your optics feed now. Give me a tight shot on the four in the street."

I looked to the icon in my H.U.D to activate that feature. With my left hand on my omni tool I zoomed in until all I could see were the people standing over the two neural shocked guys on the ground. They were still twitching.

"Renegade, shouldn't they have recovered from the shock by now?" I couldn't help but ask. "The codex on that load out said it only stunned them for a few moments. Minute max."

"You know, now that I think about it, I'm not sure," Sebastian admitted uncaring. "I've never used it on a human who wasn't in body armor or didn't at least have genetic filtering. I figured you wouldn't want me testing it on live subjects and we hadn't got around to finding an enemy to test it on yet. It's possible the load is too much for regular people. Now that I think about it, that design might have been the one Mordin and I came up with to put down a Krogen. Assuming they don't suffer any kind of permanent nerve damage, I still say it's a keeper."

I sighed, not commenting. It wouldn't do any good anyways.

"So," Sebastian continued changing topics. I let him. "Planetary standard assault rifles and sidearms. Very light body armor commonly used to protect themselves from weapons of this era. Trained. Definitely military or ex-military by the look of their readiness. This isn't amateur hour. These are professionals, and those four in the street are bait."

"What?" I asked surprised.

"They're baiting you to either think you have a chance to run, or to take them out so they can zero in on your location."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Aside from being what I would do if I was leading this assault, you can tell by their body language. They're expecting to be shot or attacked. Check the area with your bugs. There should be more groups around you lying in wait. Check vantage points that offer the best line of sight going in multiple directions. If the man leading this has any tactical awareness, he'd have set his people in overwatch positions."

I redirected a few bugs to areas that I previously searched to look again. Just more thoroughly this time. It took longer than it normally would since I was trying to make it look like natural bug movements. As I started to get a response from my scouts I felt my eyes widen. "Holy shit…"

I heard a door slam from his end of the com line. "Status?"

"I'm fine for the moment," I stated as calmly as I could. Panicking wouldn't solve anything and this kid needed me sharp. Besides, The situation was what it was. Panicking wasn't going to do any of us any good. "I've barricaded myself on the third floor of an abandoned apartment building. I have most of the bugs available to me inside so I'll know when they come in to search it. So far no one's in here but you were right. There's about sixty guys out there in groups of mostly four. Just waiting. We also have another problem."

"Outstanding. I love problems," Sebastian said dryly. Even considering what my bugs just found, I couldn't help but smile at his tone. "What now? Gunship? Grizzly? Mechs?" Sebastian paused. "They're going to try and drive you out of hiding by playing one of Blasto's movies?"

That last one through me enough I had to comment on it. "Blasto? Blasto the villain bio-tinker? He never made any movies…"

"Oh hell. Are you telling me someone actually named themselves _Blasto_?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Um, yeah." I was such a cape geek… "Why?"

"In my dimension Blasto was a Hanar movie actor who appeared in action vids." Sebastian's explanation was laced with disgust. "You know the kind, all action, no story unless you count the sex drama. Usually portraying a Specter. Stupid fucking jelly fish. I've never been so glad to not have Garrus around. He'd never let me forget this…"

I rolled my eyes finally understanding. While I didn't know who Blasto was to him, I knew who Garrus was and Sebastian was right, he'd never have let him forget that. Garrus's sense of humor would have had him waiting years, if that was what it took, just for the perfect moment to hit him with it. Like any best friend would do.

I shook my head before looking out the window to where I sensed the newest issue. It didn't take me more than a moment to zoom in close. There was a dark painted Humvee sitting practically at the edge of my range but thanks to how the parking lots of the buildings in the area were laid out, I had a clean line of sight to the four people gathered outside it. "You seeing this?"

I heard Sebastian grunt confirming he was. "I'm not seeing a problem."

"Renegade, the Undersiders are working _with_ this guy!"

"Still not seeing a problem," He stated confidently.

I wish I was as confident. Grue was standing to the side of the large vehicle with his arms folded. If I had to guess, he didn't look happy, but maybe that was just me projecting. Bitch was sitting on one of the three mutant dogs she brought with her. Even from here they looked bigger than I think they were at the bank. She looked edgy, as if she'd rather get started or go somewhere else. Regent was there too looking around. Was boredom his natural state?

What concerned me more than seeing the other three was seeing Tattletale at the window of the car. She was gesturing animatedly with her hands. However, whatever she was saying didn't look like it impressed the person in the vehicle because she suddenly stopped talking. Not being able to see the other person was getting on my nerves and Tattletale's body posture wasn't telling me much.

It was times like this I really missed having access to Chatika.

I heard the sound of Sebastian's motorcycle rev to life. "I have your coordinates. Hold your ground. Make no mistake Taylor, this situation is an Omega Black Scenario. Do you copy that?"

I swallowed while looking to the girl I rescued. I didn't like it, but I understood. There wasn't just our lives on the line here and if I was right about the kid, this was way bigger than my morality. "I copy, Commander."

"I'm on my way."

As if Tattletale could hear us, she turned away from the car. What really unnerved me was she was looking right at me as if she knew exactly where I was hiding. "What's the plan?"

"For whatever reason he wants this kid. He's committed a lot of resources into catching her. Whoever this is came here ready for a war to make sure he succeeded."

I couldn't deny that was what it looked like. I turned away from the girl. Not that knowing any of this would have changed anything. I grabbed the butt of the rifle pulling it free before deactivating the safety. "Yeah, it's looking like that. So what's the plan? What are you going to do?"

I heard Sebastian chuckle darkly over the noise of his bike at full throttle. "Show him what I think of slavers."

"Oh."

After a moment my eyes widened behind my mask as I started to understand what he meant.

"Oh_... Fuck_."


	34. The Omega Shuffle 3

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.3**

A ring of swirling black oily smoke materialized around the base of the building before exploding into a column completely enveloping the exterior.

Tattletale turned to her teammate sitting astride the massive dog. "They're too big to be much use inside. Keep watch? Make sure she doesn't try and make a run for it?"

"Fine," Bitch grunted from behind her cheap mask. With a piercing whistle her dogs lunged forward quickly disappearing around the corner of the building.

Tattletale motioned the other two to join her in walking toward the building. "Come on, we don't have much time. The Boss says she managed to get a call out to Renegade. He'll be here soon."

"This is bad idea. That guy's not exactly the poster child for mental stability and seems to have gotten his powers from the same bag of tricks as fucking Eidolon. What's the boss's plan for dealing with him?" Grue asked as he easily matched Tattletale's stride.

"No idea. He's not exactly in the sharing mood right now. We just need to worry about Matriarch and getting the kid."

Grue sighed. "This isn't really sitting well with me, Tattletale."

Slightly frowning at that understatement, Tattletale snorted. "Which part?"

"The kid thing. We're not those kinds of villains, you know?"

"We are today if we want to stay in his good graces. He's invested in us a lot over the last year. We've been successful because of careful planning, but without him, we wouldn't have been able to unload any of our scores. Which, you well know, is where most villains get caught. Besides, you know he's always had plans for us going forward."

"Fine, but what does he want her for anyways?"

"You'll have to ask him that Grue, but she's the mayor's niece," Tattletale stated with an unconcerned shrug. "Ransom or leverage most likely."

"What do you think of this?" Grue asked Regent just before they entered the dark screen encircling the building.

"Sucks to be the kid."

Grue shook his head. "Don't even know why I bothered to ask…"

"Me either," Regent stated chuckling at his friend's unease.

No one spoke until they passed through Grue's darkness and entered the building. "Where is she?"

The hallway was completely blacked out thanks to Grues power cutting off all light from outside. Not that there would have been much from the few street lamps anyways. Tattletale couldn't even see her hand right in front of her face when she raised it. More than the darkness, it was completely silent. Almost unnaturally so and stifling. The click of the flashlight beside her rang like a gunshot in the stillness.

Tattletale added her light to her teammates before leading them forward. "Third floor. She knows we're coming and will be ready for us. Keep an eye out for her bugs and watch each others costume for any she tries to put on us, especially spiders. I don't think she has anything else that's poisonous to work with. She didn't earlier."

"Yeah, cuz that wasn't freaky as shit when she did that to the hostages," Regent muttered as he swung his light around illuminating the walls and ceiling above them.

"Anything else we should know?" Grue asked.

Tattletale's nod was barely visible. "When we met earlier she had the rifle from the bank job. You saw what it did to the boss's guy outside."

Grue turned to the trailing member of the group. "Regent…"

"Sure," He responded easily. "She won't know what hit her."

"Do you know what she did to the other one? The guy that was twitching like he was electrocuted?" Grue asked Tattletale.

"Some kind of overload to their nervous system. No idea how she did it, but it's probably something her tinker came up with."

"Her mysterious tinker. Wish we knew more about what he was capable of. Do we have to worry about that guy showing up too?"

"I don't think so. Just whatever he's already come up with. When Matriarch showed up she really wasn't worried about a double cross. I think she only carried the rifle because someone told her too, Renegade most likely. So I don't think she's loaded down with tinker toys for us to worry about, just the ones she normally carries."

"So, anything then. I fucking hate tinkers. Their powers are such bullshit," Grue groused to himself.

Tattletale's next remark was made confidently as she headed in deeper directly to the staircase. "Yeah. Just keep your eyes open and be ready. She's not going to try anything until we get to the third floor."

The sound of a can rolling along the ground had both male teens jump and turn to the noise. "What was that?" Regent asked as he looked in the room the noise came from.

Tattletale kept walking, completely unconcerned. "She's just messing with you, using her bugs to try and misdirect us or to make us edgy. Ignore it. I told you she's on the third floor. That's where we'll have to worry."

Grue only responded with a grunt. He tapped Regent on the shoulder nodding his head toward Tattletale. They navigated the rest of the halls and stairs to the third floor in silence. Occasionally they heard the sound of a bugs skittering in the darkness but they never saw a single one. Sometimes a can would roll in a room they passed or they would hear the sound of a glass falling to shatter behind them. Half way up the staircase they even heard a coffee can fall down the stairs toward them from the floor above. Never once though, did any of them actually _see_ any of it happen.

Overall, all three villains were on edge when they finally made the landing at the top floor. As Tattletale looked to Grue she had to admit she was impressed by Matriarch's tactics. Grue wasn't easily spooked.

"End of the hall? That's where I would be," He whispered to her.

"Yeah. That's where the room she's in is at," She replied.

Grue took a quick look around the corner of the stairwell door frame ducking back just as quickly. "The hall bends just ahead. She's somehow set up a light in the ceiling so that corner is well lit."

"To kill our night vision," Tattletale confirmed. "So she can see us before we can see her."

Grue grunted at the twist. "I'll use my power to block the light and screen off the hall. Regent, you'll go into the room across the hall. Tattletale and I will stand just behind the corner. Once Regent gets her to drop the rifle we'll rush in. Her costume looked pretty tough but she's not very big. I'll hold her down with Regent while you get the kid. Then we'll get the fuck out of here. Hopefully before Renegade shows up."

Before Grue could use his power, Tattletale put her hand on his shoulder. "Wait, let me try and talk to her."

Grue turned sharply to the blond. "That's the most dumbass thing you've ever suggested. Do you really think you can convince her to give us the kid? She didn't strike me as the type to give up easily."

"Maybe," Tattletale evaded.

Grue growled. "Tattletale…"

"Look, if she attacks me you two can come to my rescue but let me try this. Matriarch's smart and the odds are not in her favor. We can take her, yeah, but I'd rather do it and not have to deal with her bugs or having my nerves fired."

Grue nodded to her points but didn't appear convinced. "And if she decides to shoot you the second you walk around that corner?"

"She won't," Tattletale stated easily.

"I really don't like this."

"Trust me; this is the best way."

It took several moments before Grue slumped slightly. "Alright, but I hope you know what you're doing, Tattletale."

"I do."

The young woman confidently walked down the hall not even bothering with stealth. When she got closer, she examined the device. The light source came from a disk Matriarch fixed to the ceiling. She was sure it didn't contain any kind of explosive, which was her main concern when she first saw it. It was just what it looked like, a self-contained light fixture.

Just like her power told her, what little ability she had to see in the dark was lost the second she stepped into the light. Tattletale stood there for a moment completely highlighted by the shaft of light trying to see past it down the hallway. She couldn't see anything until she stepped to the edge of the light. She could just barely see a very shadowy figure at the end of the hallway. "Matriarch?"

Regents sudden gasp drew her attention from the vague shape ahead of her. He looked frozen where he stood a few feet away. A nasty looking spider clutching to his neck. Tattletale could clearly see the line of spider silk leading into the darkness at an angle.

"That is a brown recluse spider," Matriarch's voice stated from the darkness ahead of her. "Feel that Regent? That would be my little friend's fangs ticking your jugular vein. Did you know that the toxicity of the brown recluse venom, is so potent it can rot human flesh? Just thought I would throw that out there. Wouldn't it be _interesting_ to find out what would happen if it releases that same venom into that particular vein? I ask, because if you try to remove it, or if Grue so much as twitches, you're going to find out."

Grue's curse was only barely loud enough for Tattletale to hear before he raised his voice. "Hostages only work if the other side actually gives a shit, Matriarch."

Tattletale had to fight the urge to grin when she heard Regent quiet reply as he stood very, very still. "Dude, you are such a dick…"

"Then, I guess it sucks to be Regent," Matriarch blandly stated, unknowingly echoing Regent's thoughts on the matter.

Tattletale turned her attention away from her teammate's predicament. "Can we talk?"

"After Regent and Grue walk to the end of the hall. There's a room there they can wait in," Matriarch replied.

"Fuck th-" Grue started to say before he was interrupted.

"Okay."

"What the fuck Tattletale?"

"Do what Matriarch says," She said before lowering her voice so only he could hear it. "Let me handle this, Grue. She will hurt Regent if we push too far. As far as she's concerned, there's only a few ways out of this and most of them are not good for us."

Grue growled in frustration before he and Regent backed down the hall. Tattletale waited until both were in the last room before stepping back to the edge of the light where she finally spotted Matriarch. She was kneeling in the doorway of the room she was holding up in. As Tattletale watched, Matriarch adjusted the rifle barrel so it pointed directly at her head.

"You don't want to shoot me."

"Not entirely."

"You're not the killer type, Matriarch."

"I'm sure you'll give me a reason to change that."

Tattletale couldn't help but chuckle at the cape in front of her. "I hope not. I actually hoped to give you a reason not to shoot me. You're not as alone as you might think you are, but there are things going on you know nothing about."

"By all means, tell me. I have time. You, not so much."

"Shooting me won't do you any good you know," She assured the armed cape. "Grue's power stops all forms of communication signals from getting through. Even if you manage to knock him unconscious, it still takes a long time to fade. This stalemate can't last forever. I'm sure you know this already, but Bitch is outside. If by some chance you actually make it that far, her dogs will tear you apart. I doubt that gun, or your bugs, will do much against them. I mean, you might get one, maybe even two, but not all three _and _Bitch."

Tattletale continued when Matriarch didn't respond to her statement. "You do not understand what you are up against. Our boss is unrelenting and ruthless. He's extremely well connected on every level you can imagine. His people can be anyone, anywhere. From common thugs to other villains. I know he has cops in his pocket and it wouldn't even surprise me if he had hero's on his payroll.

"He's been at this for years. Putting the right people in the right place. Integrating himself into the inner workings of whatever group would push his plans forward. In both his cape guise, and his civilian one. Do you understand that? He even brought the Undersiders together to help in some of his long range plans. Not all of us willingly..."

"Your point?" Matriarch finally responded evenly.

"My point is that right now our boss thinks you are an obstacle to his plans. He doesn't like obstacles and I've never seen one last long when he doesn't want it too. Even if you made it out of here, there's no where you can hide he can't eventually find you. You could easily change his mind about you though. The Boss makes a better friend than enemy."

Matriarch snorted. "So I should hand over the girl to save myself? Did you really think your little speech would convince me to do that?"

Tattletale sighed. "No, but I had to try. I know you think you can win against him, but you are wrong. No one's managed to pull a decisive victory against him since I've been working for him. He's not someone you can take head on. Not with his power. The only way to win against him, is to so surprise him, he never sees it coming. That practically requires you to play the game the same way, if not better than he does. Best place to do that is inside his guard. However, there's only one way to get there."

"I'm not handing over the girl. Not to you. Not to your 'boss'."

"That doesn't leave us many options," Tattletale replied sadly. "So, what now?"

"Now," Matriarch began while tilting her head slightly over the weapon in her hands. Tattletale's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. "…I am going to shoot you."

The sound of the gunshot was almost more jarring for the thinker, than the actual impact.

_XxXExiledXxX_

The sound reached him where he stood watching the building his minion ensnared in his power. It was easily recognizable by its unique sound as a motorcycle. The man turned his masked face. "Captain."

"Everyone's in position, sir. They are waiting your word to begin."

Far down the street the bike appeared from a side street. It could only be Renegade. The figure narrowed his eyes. He gave Tattletale her chance to bring the cape into his circle. Now it was time to end this farce. It was proving to be too annoying. "The word is given, Captain."

He watched as the troops he staged in the area readied themselves. When the bike entered the engagement zone, they opened fire.

The first shot came from the sniper on the building above him. Several slow steady shots rained down on the approaching figure. Two others carrying RPG's opened fire along with several others using small arms. The effect was graphic as well as immediate. The two wheeled vehicle exploded into a flaming fireball careening off the road before burrowing into a small house.

"Captain, take five men. Confirm the kill. Once you find the body, make sure he's dead."

The man next to him snorted at the likelihood that anyone would have survived the attack. "Any trophies from the corpse, sir?"

"His head will suffice."

"Understood, sir," The man stated before saluting. He ran to the wreckage at a steady jog. The four in the street were joined by another he called to as they went to follow their orders.

He turned back to the building where his Undersiders were dealing with Matriarch. It was annoying to have had to move so openly but the alternative would have had his pet escaping. Even now he couldn't predict the outcome.

He waited impatiently. He stacked the deck in his favor as much as he could. From every aspect he spun this situation with his power; this one that had the best chances for success as far as he could tell. This, he grudgingly admitted, was not much. Not since he first gained his power five years ago did he have so little control over a situation and he did not enjoy renewing the experience. Nor was he ready to so test the Undersiders. He had hoped for them to grow a bit more, maybe even add a new member or two to increase their effectiveness before doing this.

Still, if they passed the test they would be truly invaluable in his coming plans. If not…

Well, there were other villains in the city who would appreciate, if not be outright eager, for his patronage.

He tried once again to use his power. Suddenly everything was gone. All his senses hindered by pure unrelenting blackness. He _knew_ his power was working. _Knew_ that he created the alternate timeline. In one, he did nothing, in the other he ordered his people to storm the building where Matriarch was hiding.

Only, he couldn't _see_ any of it. He couldn't _hear_ anything and didn't _know_ what was happening in either. He wanted to scream into the ether which he tred. How could he choose which one offered the best outcome if he didn't know what was happening in either!

He collapsed the timeline where he ordered his people into the building and suddenly found his sight and hearing returned.

Automatic gunfire blared from the building Renegade crashed into mingling with the curses and screams of his people. Three extremely loud blasts rang from the building cutting off the weapons fire before one figure ran from the building.

It was one of his corporals trying to make a dash back to the line. He managed to get half way across the street before something picked him up mid stride and jerked him back into the house as like a bungee cord snapping back. The man flew into the house through the large broken window, screaming the entire way. A single flash of light and blast, silenced him.

He heard a crackle of the radios his people used. However, the voice that spoke wasn't one of them.

_"__So, you want to play 'Who's the better villain?"_

He growled in frustration turning to climb back into the Humvee. He grabbed the radio sitting on the seat. Before he could say anything though, Renegade spoke again.

_"__Alright…"_

_XxXExiledXxX_

Renegade looked down at the body that his shotgun almost cut in half. Light body armor meant to stop standard rounds did absolutely nothing to stop mass accelerated ones. Not at the point blank range the man was at after he lashed him back into the house.

_"__Best place to do that is inside his guard. However, there's only one way to get there."_

He rolled his neck he listening to the com line he had opened with Taylor before he spotted a bulky com clipped to one of the corpse waist. He knelt down running his omni tool over it acquiring the channel. No reason to waste any advantage they could get.

_"__I'm not handing over the girl. Not to you. Not to your 'boss'."_

"I'm ready," he stated to the empty room.

The volume of Taylor's response was far lower than when she replied to him directly. _"__Are you sure you can get out once this starts?"_

He smirked at Taylor's question. "Trust me. Go when you're ready. Let me know when you're clear."

"_Copy. Sebastian… please be careful…"_

Still kneeling he looked to the wet patch of blood at his side. Without medi gel there really was only one way to patch it, and that was to cauterize it. As he put his omni tool to work he clenched his teeth as he replied. "I will."

_"__That doesn't leave us many options," _Tattletale replied sadly._ "__So, what now?"_

Renegade looked out the broken window the man's body flew through a moment ago. By now the enemy should be redeploying to open up on his position. From where he stood he had a fairly good idea on where they'd set themselves. As he watched he saw one taking aim at him from across the street.

He chuckled as tapped into the signal they were using to communicate. "So, you want to play 'Who's the better villain'?"

His barrier was more than strong enough for the next part. He cocked the shotgun as he began building up his power.

_"__Now, I am going to shoot you."_ He heard Taylor state to Tattletale. It was both a statement, and a signal.

He heard the gunshot just as his power peaked. He stepped out of the building.

"Alright...

_"Game on_."


	35. The Omega Shuffle 4

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.4**

Grue looked steadily at his friend. "Okay, ready?"

"Man, this better fucking work."

"You said yourself you've done this before. Do you have a better idea?"

"It's not your neck on the line," Regent groused.

"Okay man. Do it."

Regent used his power on the spider holding him hostage without any preamble. He paused only to sigh in relief when it fell to the ground without biting him. "Hell yeah…"

Both young villains turned at the gunshot. "Tattletale!"

Grue sent his power exploding ahead of him like a rolling, billowing cloud. It rushed forth covering the hallway all the way to its end in its oily darkness. He hoped that would be enough to distract Matriarch, or at least blind her long enough to get his teammate clear. Assuming she was still alive to benefit from it.

His power didn't affect him like it did everyone else except for making everything look like a black and white movie. His rush stalled only when he saw Tattletale's body sprawled on the ground. She wasn't moving.

Ignoring Regents cursing behind him about not being able to see, he ran to the still body of his friend pausing only long enough to grab the pistol she had holstered at her side. Pistol in hand he moved into a sprint to the end of the hall intent to make Matriarch pay.

As he rounded the corner to enter the room, Grue snarled. "Matriarch!"

He raised the pistol as he saw her running away from him, rifle on her back. His anger burned almost as hot as the day he gained his powers fueling each pull of the trigger. The cape stumbled slightly at the impacts but incredibly didn't stop as he emptied the clip into her back. Nor did she stop running through the room only to surprise him by leaping through the window.

Matriarch's dive altered just enough to spin her body so the impact would be absorbed by her back. It was then that he noticed she was holding the kid tightly in her arms. Grue watched stunned as her thin body shattered the window without effort. Her spin protecting the kid. It also allowed their eyes to meet for just the barest of moments.

"Grue, look out!"

Only months of working with, and trusting in the voice saved him from the ridiculous explosion that ripped through the room. The force of the blast altered his dive so that he ended up bouncing hard off the hallway wall. It took a moment for the building to stopped shaking. It was only then he uncovered his head to look down the hall at the person who saved his life from Matriarch's trap. Badly shaken, Grue rose enough to slowly make his way to his teammate.

"Tattletale…"

"I can't hear you Grue, but yeah, I'm okay."

He helped his friend to get into a sitting position while looking her over. Incredibly he didn't see any wounds. He slightly squeezed her shoulder to ask how, and to assure himself she was really alright.

"That rifle has a few tricks I never even thought of," The wounded cape explained. "It can shoot non-lethal rounds. Kinda like a mini concussion grenades, but more localized. I didn't even see it coming until she shot me. She had this planned the second she realized we were the ones who were being sent in. Is Regent alright? One squeeze for yes, two for no."

Grue looked down the hall. Regent sitting against the wall. He picked up a bit of fallen plaster and threw it at his friend to get his attention and to see if he was conscious. It made Regent jump when it landed next to him but proved he was alright.

He squeezed Tattletale's shoulder once. "Good. Give me a hand up? We need to get to the street."

Grue sighed but helped her up. The last thing he wanted to do was to engage that cape again, but she was right. There was no going back now.

It didn't take long for them to get to Regent who was standing on his own now. As they passed through the remains of Grue's power, Regent smiled. "Thought you bit it."

"Even if I had, you still can't have my laptop," Tattletale returned easily.

Regent laughed before turning to Grue. "Check this out."

Grue moved to the doorway to see what Regent pointed at. The stairs were gone. Or more accurate to say, they were destroyed.

"She blew up the stairs to trap us in the building," Tattletale observed tiredly. "Smart."

Grue shook his head. "What the fuck…"

All three capes stood quietly for a moment looking at the ruined staircase before Regent spoke. "If no one else is going to say it, I will."

Grue ignored Tattletale's weak chuckle to turn to Regent. "Say what?"

"We got played like a virgin on prom night," Regent stated with mocking smile on his face. "She left us spread eagle, bleeding, and wondering what the fuck just happened. Got to give Matriarch her due. She's got _style_."

Grue snarled. He was not even slightly amused by Regent's ill humor. "She still has to get past Bitch."

_XxXExiledXxX_

Being shot, I decided, was not fun. Being shot fifteen times by the villain behind me was even less so. I absentmindedly noted to myself that at least my theories on my costume were right. None of the bullets penetrated but each hit still hurt like hell.

I had the girl hugged tightly to me as I dove. Grue's darkness didn't affect me the way it seemed to everyone else. Actually it did. I couldn't see or hear anything but I could still sense my bugs. Not just that but my power also told me where each and every one of them was relative to myself. I first noticed this when I encountered his darkness at the bank, which led to my current strategy.

I'd set cockroaches along this route knowing it was the only way to get out. I spun midair just enough to take the impact from the window, which I hoped would be enough to protect the minor in my arms. As my body smashed through, I had to admit, this was probably stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. I just hopped this wouldn't be the last thing I ever did.

As we left the speculative safety of the building to sail into the air, I smirked slightly. As I activated my omni tool, I couldn't help but think, I was hanging out with Sebastian too much. The rush of wind as it passed me terrified me as much as it thrilled me. The only thing I could compare it to was like riding a rollercoaster you couldn't see, without a safety harnesses. Only, more so. Especially when the signal I sent was received.

The grenades I placed in the room and in the stairwell detonated doing what they were designed to do. No flash-bangs or concussion effects here. They exploded ripping the apartment and stairs to shreds. I figured that should be buy me sometime.

Thankfully, Grue's darkness over the building kept the sounds of both explosions contained. As we flew out of the cape's miasma the only evidence to any outside observers would have been the flames and debris that breached it. If I could have unlodged the lump in my throat, I would have screamed as I looked down in equal parts terror and exhilaration. Not screaming allowed me to hear the sounds of close gunfire as I passed the halfway point down the building. Looked like Renegade was keeping them busy.

I tucked myself into a roll bringing my legs downward as I watched the approaching pavement. My timing was just right thanks to the bugs I moved to my expected landing point. Once more I activate my omni tool.

A burst of static erupted around me, killing all the inertia I gathered free falling from the building. One moment I was hurtling to my death, and the next I hung seemingly suspended inches from the ground. I grunted as the forces of my descent continued while I didn't. The effect only lasted a moment before it burst like a popped soap bubble. As my feet touched the pavement I whispered a silent thank you to Sebastian for his thoughtfulness in creating that bit of tech for me. After my encounter with Lung and being trapped on a rooftop with the great rage monster he turned into, I thought it prudent to always have a way to get out of such situations, just in case.

As I tried to calm my racing heart, I couldn't help but think that was a serious rush. Suddenly, I had the irresistible urge to watch a Ricochet match.

Yeah, I was _definitely_ hanging out with Sebastian too much.

Before I could catch my breath from my daredevil maneuver, I looked to my left and seeing Bitch come around the corner. I quickly raised my arm firing a Neural Shock that caught the cape by surprise before she even managed to understand she was under attack. Bitch tumbled backward rolling over the rump of her giant dog. Immediately knowing something was wrong, all three bone spiked monsters screeched to a stop quickly turning around to the twitching body in the street.

"That's right, protect your mistress…" I whispered to them. The three brutes stood in a protective circle around her growling while looking around.

Tattletale assured me during the ride to the Bay Central that Bitches dogs were real dogs that she altered with her power. During the bank job I noticed that she controlled them with commands and whistles. That suggested training and that whatever her power did to them, did not alter their brains so whenever they were powered up, they still _thought_ like dogs.

Bitches dogs knew I was in front of them but immediately dismissed me as a threat since I wasn't acting like one. Without her to command them, they defaulted to protecting their mistress. Just as I hoped. I looked down to the still unconscious girl in my arms She looked fine but her continued unconsciousness worried me. I adjust her in my arms before I rose to my feet running in the opposite direction of where Bitch lay twitching.

"Renegade, I'm clear!"

_XxXExiledXxX_

The world distorted. Edges of his vision blurred and warped so the only thing vaguely recognizable was the small point directly in front of him. For the hairs breadth available, it looked as if he was seeing his target through a swirling vortex of dark energy. It felt like his entire body was stretched between locations. Which was pretty much what was happening. It was also why so few biotics who were powerful enough to create this effect did so. The series of fields the asari labeled 'Charge' was never what a normal person would call a 'comfortable' experience. It was, however, extremely effective on several levels if the biotic employing it could endure the experience and still function.

The force of his trans-location erupted around him in a shock wave as it brought him into the building across the street. Anything and everything not nailed to the ground was sent flying. Including the three combatants in the room. He casually took note of the surprise on the man's face before pain slowly registered.

The shotgun blast ended the his agony. By the time the world reassured her dominance, Renegade followed up with two more rounds. He chuckled to himself as he turned on his heel heading back into the street. Casually switching his overheated shotgun for his rifle.

"Let's go find three more," He mumbled to himself moving ground eating stride.

Rifle to his shoulder he unloaded a barrage of rounds into the group ahead of him. The first one fell to the onslaught but the other two abandoned their cover making a run for it. He broke into a run throwing a grenade upward into the open window on the second floor. Almost as an afterthought he sent a shock wave into a completely different group.

Gunfire and explosions joined the warbling concussion of his cascading dark energy eruptions. They rivaled with the curses and screams of the dying. Bullets impacted around him as he wove through the chaos he knew so well. The buzz saw cadence of his assault rifle breaking into the din here and there as he picked off targets of opportunity.

Now this was familiar. This was something he knew well. Life and death walked a cusp only three pounds of pressure away. Those who lived knew that to stay that way they had to out think as well as out aim their opponent. The only comfort for those who failed that test was that nothing mattered anymore. Adrenaline pumped through Renegade's veins as sweat poured from him with each use of his abilities. Even the tug of in his head that corresponded with each use of his biotics soothed him. He fell into the ebb and flow of battle the way most people did breathing. Instincts honed from a career of solving problems for the Alliance directing his steps allowing him to stay one step ahead of the enemy.

Camo clad men moved from cover to cover trying to keep up with his unpredictable movements due to the fact he never sat still. The Alliance liked formations, battle lines, and carefully and completely dominating an area until they held full control. These men fought with a classic military readiness that harkened to the beginnings of that great organization. That worked well when you were fighting a war, but in a skirmish, Renegade found the opposite worked so much better.

Unpredictability had been a trademark of his for a long time. He dropped another opponent. No need to change a winning tactic if it still worked.

He didn't hold ground. Even giving up superior cover for ineffectual. Moving from one location to another so fast the enemy had no choice but to follow him or risked being flanked and killed themselves. Making them chase him through the streets or from one building to another. Even as he Charged into overwatch positions taking out snipers and rocketeers before going back to the street, or vice versa.

His movements kept them from getting organized and entrapping him. A fact confirmed by the sounds of the com traffic of those who pursued him. More than the simple basics of this tactic though, it allowed him to get a feel for the kind of soldiers these were as well as put himself into a position to really hurt them.

So far, he wasn't impressed.

_"Renegade, I'm clear!"_

He breathed a sigh of relief. He knew she could do it, but so many things could go wrong in the heat of battle. He put his back to the wall before checking around the corner to make sure it was clear. "Outstanding! I'll be there shortly. I think I managed to get their attention."

He heard Matriarch snort as he switched out his rifle for his pistol. _"I'd say. They're swarming your position…"_

The pistol jerked three times as he put down the armed man who ran around the corner. The other one was too fast as he changed directions going back the way he came. "Yeah, I'm pretty popular right now."

_"I'm two blocks away; come on!"_

"En route, though I'm going to have to shake my fans. Keep going until you get to our rendezvous location. I'll be there soon."

_"But…"_

"Go!" Renegade ordered before he leaned out of the corner. Gunfire immediately riddled the wall in front of him. He changed directions again kicking open the door beside him. Pausing only to slap a proximity mine to the door frame. Trap set, he broke into a run for the far window. The noise did not go unnoticed as he dove.

The explosion of the mine detonating signaled the end of another enemy. As Renegade hit the ground he immediately fell into a roll coming up behind an abandoned truck that looked like it'd been sitting there rusting for years. His quick assessment of the area showed only one other who had spotted his new location. As he swapped out his pistol for his shotgun he watched the guy break the window to clear his line of fire. Once again Renegade vanished into an auze streak easily killing the man as he arrived.

_"Behind you!"_

He reacted instantly as he always had when a teammate warned him of danger. The booming sound of his weapon firing broke the momentary stillness as well as sending the body he shot flying through the thin wall.

"I thought I told you to get to the rendezvous?"

_"Like I would leave you to get killed by these guys,"_ He heard Matriarch retort. _"Besides, I'm the closest thing you have to a sensor suite until we get Chatika back online. Someone has to watch your back."_

Turning from the cooling corpse he continued his advance. An approving smirk on his face. "I'll make a marine out of you yet."

_"I'll settle for a cheeseburger and getting the fuck away from all these guys trying to kill us!"_

Renegade chuckled. "It's a date. Just need to get rid of the paparazzi."

_"Wait, what…?"_

He moved into a sprint heading down stairs. He announced his arrival to the four waiting from him in the same lethal manner as before. One slammed against the wall with bone shattering force while the other one dove away. His shotgun cut down a third as Renegade took to cover behind a stone pillar switching back to his pistol.

"Come on, fucking try and kill me already!" He shouted as he fired several rounds into the man hiding behind the counter.

_"Can you _please_ not antagonize the murderous psychos with guns?"_

"Do you think they'd stop shooting if I were nicer!?" He replied as weapons fire impacted against the pillar. "Hey, I don't suppose you guys would be interested in getting a beer instead trying to kill me? I'll buy!"

If anything, the weapons fire increased against his cover making him laugh aloud. "I don't think they're interested. Maybe the next group."

He heard her scoff, and affectionately mutter 'asshole' under her breath. She was right though. It was time to get going. He moved out of cover just enough to take down the last of combatants in front of him. It saved his life. Pain lanced through his head as shrapnel peppered him from the stone column of his cover. He quickly rolled away only to get hit again by shrapnel from more near misses.

Through a hole in the wall he could easily see the barrel of the rifle that was pointed right at him. The sniper was posted on the roof of the building across the street. Renegade refreshed his barrier as he broke cover running directly toward him.

The first round hit him square in the shoulder. His barrier easily took the impact not even generating enough force to break his stride. The second one hit in him in the chest. Again his barrier absorbed the hit. Still, enough kinetic energy transferred through for him to grunt from the impact. However, before the sniper could adjust his aim and pull the trigger for a third shot, Renegade was finally close enough to act.

Once again the shockwave exploded from his entry sending them man skyward. Renegade's power rolled around him in a maelstrom as he thrust his hand forward pushing a forty-eight hundred newton force field into the sky borne figure. The unfortunate man screamed his plight into the darkness around them as he shot upward into the city's sky. Breathing harshly Renegade turned away, holstering his pistol while pulling the sniper rifle free from his back. No matter where he landed, he wasn't going to be a threat to anyone anymore.

Through the scope he spotted his target. The man was dressed in a costume so skin tight he looked almost skeletal. The only identifiable detail on it was in a decal over his mask. A coiled snake.

He was standing next to the humvee Taylor noted earlier. Communications radio in his hand with his head tilted upward. Despite how random and chaotic his movements were, every single one was meant to bring Renegade to this location. Killing these men didn't matter nearly as much as killing this one would. Anyone who could afford to spend this much on an assault, would surely be able to get replacements to lost personnel. As the crosshairs fell over the bridge of where his nose would be, Renegade pulled the trigger.

Incredibly, the man dove to his right. Snarling Renegade adjusted his aim and fired only to miss him again. He took aim for the third shot only for his target to leap into the vehicle. Once again the mass accelerated round missed the man by a hair's breath.

_"All units, disengage! Protocol Sigma-Five."_

Disgusted with himself he lowered the rifle barely noting it's alarm ringing. Renegade activated the heat venting sequence as he watched the vehicle race deeper into the city.

_"Renegade?"_

His eyes tracked the fleeing vehicle before he lost sight of it. "Yeah, I'm here."

_"All of those soldier guys are leaving. What happened?"_

Renegade didn't immediately respond. Instead mulling the encounter with the cape in his mind. "I think, we won."

_"You don't sound sure of that,"_ Matriarch noted.

"No, I guess I'm not," He admitted. "I'm en route to your position. Then we'll head to my place to figure out our next move. Whatever this is, it's not over."

Renegade frowned into the night. _No, this isn't over yet. We're just getting started..._


	36. The Omega Shuffle 5

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.5**

I closed the door as quietly as I could. Thankfully, Dinah was finally asleep. As I leaned against the door I checked the time on my omni tool. Twelve sixteen. It was after midnight and here I was, hiding out in the Boat Graveyard, still in costume, looking like I had just survived a small war. My hand paused as I ran it through my tangled hair. I didn't call Dad. With everything that had happened, I completely forgot all about my promise to keep him sort of in the loop. He was going to be _furious_ when I finally faced him…

I lightly thumped my head against the cold steel of the door at my back. This situation was so much more than I knew how to deal with. As I looked across the room, I couldn't help but think that as my night kept getting weirder that at least it wasn't getting any more dangerous.

_Yet._

My eyes fell on Leet kneeling behind one of Chatika's access nodes. Wire snippets and bits of computer tech all around him as he carefully soldered connections in circuit board he was working on. Uber was typing like a maniac at a monitor a few feet away occasionally muttering something to his friend.

I sighed before pushing away from the door heading to the kitchen. I needed caffeine.

"You guys want any coffee?" I asked.

Uber stopped long enough to lean back in his chair. I winced as his necked popped sickly in contrast to his moan of relief at it doing so. "Man, I do."

Leet only grunted, which I figured to mean he did as well. I walked into the kitchen area taking down three cups, filling them with the last of the coffee. I didn't even think about it before making a fresh pot.

As I busied myself with the task, I once again looked at the two guys in Sebastian's… living room? CIC? All this time hanging out here and I still didn't know what to call this place.

Neither did I know what to expect when I thought about who might have been under the mesh masks they wore, was it only earlier this afternoon? Seemed like so much longer since I met with them.

Uber looked like just about any white guy I'd ever seen. No distinguishing features that made him stand out. Brown eyes, dirty blond hair not done in any particular style other than short enough to not be a bother. Not really plain but I wouldn't call him good looking either.

As the coffee gurgled away, I sweetened our cups while I turned to Leet. I had to say I was honestly surprised to realize he was Samoan. At least, that was what he said earlier at the beach when I first saw them both unmasked. Then again, I shouldn't have been. I'd just never really thought about it I guess. Still, Leet had dark hair, dark eyes. Not really sure what color they were. Kinda lean but I knew that from before. The glasses he wore didn't really seem to fit him but I wasn't really anyone to judge there.

I quietly handed the guys their coffee before taking a seat where I could watch them both. Sitting still and not helping a hysterical young girl calm down allowed my thoughts to drift to earlier in the evening. Being trapped, my escape, hearing and sensing what Sebastian was doing to the soldiers that hunted us. Then our harrowing escape. It was a long and terrifying run through town as we tried to get to the beach. I jumped at every noise and every shadow seemed to have a man with a rifle hiding in it. However, that was just my paranoia messing with me since we managed to get to the boat unmolested.

Which is where we linked up with Uber and Leet. Sebastian contacted them during our run. By the time we made it to the rendezvous, they were already waiting with the things Sebastian told them we'd need.

"How's the girl?" Uber asked bringing me back to the present.

My sip of coffee shored up my flagging spirits as I slowly put my thoughts in order. "Sleeping. Thank you for bringing her clothes. I can't see us cleaning her old ones enough to salvage them."

Uber nodded into his cup. "No problem. My sister... doesn't need them anymore anyways. The girl looked better after you got her cleaned up."

"Her name is Dinah, and yeah, she looked a lot better. No obvious injuries. A few cuts, some abrasions. Nothing serious that I could find. Though I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about that stuff," I answered to his hinted question.

I noticed Leet look up from the board he was inspecting for a moment before slotting it back into the machine. A small dot blinking on the back of his hand let me know he had a com channel open. "Shepard, I'm set up here."

_"Good, I'll be up in a moment,"_ Sebastian answered through the relay in their omni tools.

I watched as Leet closed the panel finally picking up the cup I set by him and taking a long drink. He gave me a smile in thanks as he stood wobbly to stretch the kinks out of his legs.

I shook my head taking a drink from my own cup as my eyes turned to the main vid screen. It was broken into several different news feeds showing the same scene from multiple angles. It was safe to say that our outing did not go unnoticed by the Protectorate or the local news stations.

Three buildings burned merrily. The streets were choked with debris, overturned vehicles as well as several craters. Fire and Rescue walked through one scene or another mingling with various police officers and of course several Protectorate heroes. I swallowed thickly as one of the cameras zoomed in on several bloody sheets shrouding lumps that could only be one thing: dead bodies.

"Jesus, looks like a fucking war zone," Uber noted as if he was talking about the weather.

"No shit. Man, bet the Protectorate is shitting themselves over that. Hasn't been a scene like that in B since… what, couple of years? Back when Lung first came to town?" Leet asked.

Uber nodded. A small part of me wanted to throw up knowing I played a part in that but I forced that feeling down. I would do it again to save the girl. It might not have been very 'heroic' of me to think that, but then again, I wasn't exactly what you would call a 'model hero'. Hell, I wasn't even a good villain. At this point I didn't even know how to classify myself anymore.

The sound of screeching metal brought my eyes from the vids to Sebastian. I watched as he closed the heavy ships door behind him before immediately moving for the coffee. He looked better than he did on our run, but I could still see the way he favored his left side. His fresh shirt hid the bandages that wrapped around his midsection and shoulder from bullets that got through his defenses but other than a slight slowing of his gait, he didn't seem too affected by his injuries. Something he had to assure me of several times before we managed to get to the safety of our base.

I swallowed thickly as I once again realized, things could have been so much worse. A shiver raced down my spine as the memory of Grue shooting me flickered across my mind's eye. The sound of the gun, pain of getting hit, and the absolute relief that I wasn't dead. Again, I pushed those thoughts away. Instead, I stood moving to the coffee pot to refill my cup. "How's it going?"

"It's a good thing they retreated when they did, I would have hated to have left behind the eezo you found. I have the largest sample refining below. Since it's not pure eezo it won't take long to go through it all and things will really start advancing. Leet's finished the repairs to Chatika. I'll get her back up in a bit. He cannibalized what we needed from some of his old tinker projects. Should be even better than what I had in mind and will be faster. He assures me it won't be hard to maintain," Sebastian answered.

I looked him over carefully. His face was drawn, more haggard than I'd seen him before. Even considering he used to charge his own system. My eyes tracked the small cuts around the left side of his face. From what, he didn't tell me but I pulled bits of rock out of each one earlier. "I think you look worse than I do."

A slow smirk grew on his face. "So, no modeling for a while then. Probably for the best. Besides, some women think scars are sexy."

I rolled my eyes. As I stirred my coffee I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. It took a few moments of silence between us before I could build up my courage. Even still, my voice was barely over a whisper. "So… a date?"

Sebastian had his cup raised to his lips froze for a moment as he realized what I said. I bit my lip as I waited anxiously for him to say something. It seemed to take a very long time as I watched him rub the back of his neck. "Ah, well, you know… probably shouldn't have suggested, ah you know. That in the middle of a firefight but…"

"But?" I prompted him.

"Think you guys can tell us what is going on now?" Uber asked as he turned to us.

"Yeah. Looks like you two dragged us into some serious shit," Leet added.

Sebastian looked to me apologetically. Finished with my coffee I nodded resisting the urge to sigh. Though his timing could have been a lot better, they did deserve to know what we got them into. Once all of us settled at the table Sebastian started explaining. We'd already told them about saving the girl led to the attack earlier, but didn't get much into it.

I half listened as Sebastian gave those details but eventually tuned him out. I didn't snap back to reality until he bumped my shoulder to get my attention. "You alright?"

"Oh, sorry. Just tired. What was the question?"

"The kid tell you anything about why those guys were chasing her?"

"Some." I started to explain. "She was pretty spooked when she finally woke up. Took a while to settle her down enough to made sense." I looked down at my coffee. "I was right. She's a precog."

"For real?" Uber asked. I don't think he would have been more surprised if I jabbed him with a fork.

Sitting next to him, Leet shook his head. "And why are we not just handing her over to the Protectorate? They can help her better than we can. I mean, we're villains!"

Ignoring the villain comment, I answered him. "I asked her that. She told me there was an eighty-three point something percent chance that if we did that the cape hunting her would capture her."

Uber whistled through his teeth. "So, she sees the future through percentages? Man, that's a fucking broken power. No wonder this guy wants her so badly. Think of all the things you could do? I mean, win the lotto and know the stock shifts even before they did it! Fucking anything really."

"Did she mention the void again?" Sebastian asked me ignoring Ubers ramblings about how much money we could make.

"Apparently, we're in it somehow," I explained. "Whatever it is, blocks her power and the power of the guy chasing her. Kinda like a blind spot I guess. She doesn't know what causes it, just that we're somehow at the center of it…"

"Wait, so the army guy, he's a thinker too?" Uber interrupted again.

"According to Dinah; yeah. She says he can be in two futures at once. It's why she couldn't outrun him for very long."

"What does that mean, 'be in two futures'?" Leet asked me.

I shook my head not really understanding it any better than they did despite the fact I was the one she explained it too. "She says that each future is separate. Like, I don't know, multiple time lines maybe? She explained it like roads that keep splitting based on decisions we make. What we do splits things but no matter which way we go, we don't know what would happen if we chose to go the other way. We are in each 'future' but we don't know what is happening in either. Dinah says she can't actually see any of those futures, but her power gives her a percentage breakdown of the probability of which road will be taken. The guy chasing her? Dinah says that guy can see what is happening and choose between which roads he likes best. Whatever this void is stops all that, hence why she doesn't want to go home, or to the Protectorate."

"Fuck…" Leet muttered as he leaned back rubbing his face. I nodded at the sentiment. It pretty much summed up our situation. After a moment of silence Leet looked at me. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

I shook my head. "We're all she has."

"Are you brain damaged?" Uber half shouted. "This guy's got an army. I mean a real army! Okay, I don't think much of the Undersiders, but if he's got one cape group working for him who's to say he doesn't have more? Or can't get more. What are you going to do? Take on half of Brockton Bay by yourself?"

I frowned as I shook my head. "If that is what it takes, then yes. I'll fight him on my own if I have too. I'm not letting him get his hands on Dinah. Aside from the fact that she's just a kid, what do you think he's going to be capable of if he actually gets his hands on her? More importantly, if he's willing to kill for her, what do you think he's willing to do to force her to cooperate?"

"You won't be alone," Sebastian stated firmly.

"Look, I'm not saying this isn't a fucked up situation," Uber broke in. "but have you actually thought about this? According to what you just said, this guy has some kind of stupid time split shenanigan power or something. How are you going to stop a guy who can just shift realities to one where he didn't lose?"

"Dude," Leet chuckled. "Shenanigans? Really? How long have you been waiting to use that word in a real sentence?"

My smile wasn't as wide as Leets, but I instantly felt the tension in the room drop at his comment. Uber just looked pissed that Leet derailed him but it was Sebastian who spoke up. "That would explain a few things. A considerable advantage, but not unbeatable. We would have to be very careful, extremely precise putting just the right events into play…"

The humor drained from Leet as he leaned into the table interrupting him. "And you need to be fucking crazy too."

"Not to mention you're going to need a crew as bullshit crazy as you are," Uber stated shaking his head.

"Who'd you have in mind?" Leet finished with a half ass smirk on his face.

I blinked surprised while Sebastian laughed. I narrowed my eyes. "That almost sounds like you're in."

"Of course we're in." Uber actually looked offended.

Leet nodded which prompted me to question their decision. "Why?"

The tinker looked to his friend receiving a shrug in reply. "Aside from the fact that we'd do it anyways? I mean, we're villains, but we're not that fucked up."

I nodded, waving my hand for him to continue.

"Project: Sir Isaac Newton."

I don't think I could have been more surprised if he asked me to sleep with him. I frowned looking to Sebastian. In turn he answered my unspoken question. "They saw a few of the files you printed while you were out testing for eezo."

"And what do you want out of that?" I asked not really sure I wanted to know.

It was Uber who answered. "Let us build it. We'll even do it to the specs Shepard has on file, follow whatever regs you give us but we want to be a part of that."

"Okay, I still don't see why," I asked still confused.

"It's like this," Leet broke in. "Yeah, our theme has always been video games because, let's be honest, video games fucking rock. Not just because they're fun, but because they're all about what we don't have. Newton changes all that and we want to be a part of it; to build it, and when it's done, be on it."

"Wait, you're willing to up against Shenanigan guy, face the possibility of being hurt or more likely killed, just to work on Sebastian's pet project?" I asked more than slightly confused. It even sounded worse than it did in my head.

"Matriarch, have you_ read_ the project?"

"Not as such. I know it's a bigger undertaking than Project Undine is. What's it about?"

Leet grinned. "It's about the deadliest son of a bitch in space."

_What the hell did he mean by that?_

"Ahem." All three of us turned to Sebastian as he brought us back on topic. "I don't have a problem with that as long as it doesn't interfere with Project Undine. Aside from our current problem, getting the bay back in its feet has been our priority for some time now."

Both capes nodded with pleased smiles on their faces. I shook my head still not understanding but figured I'd get caught up once Chatika was back online. I looked back to Sebastian as he continued.

"But, before we get to that, recruiting. I have a couple of people in mind that I think can be persuaded to help. But I'll need a couple of things before I can approach them."

"What do you need?" I asked seriously.

"First thing I need is to talk to Gamble, I'll need his help to find one of them. Remember when I told you about the neutrals? I'll need Gamble to help me find one he mentioned to me in passing a few months back."

"Do you think you can convince someone who doesn't want to be a part of the cape scene to jump right into it? Especially with our current problems?"

"Maybe. I won't know until I ask."

I leaned back into my chair nodding. It sounded very farfetched, but he seemed confident. "Okay, the second?"

Sebastian rose from the table walking back into the kitchen. There he picked up a newspaper before folding it and returning only to drop it in front of me. I looked at the article before snapping my head upward to look at him in horror. He couldn't be seriously suggesting what I think he was suggesting...

His smile formed fully sending a chill down my spine. It wasn't quite feral, but there was something predatory in it that almost made me wonder if I should be looking for the exit. "I need a bigger gun."

"Dude, haven't you pissed off enough people?" Uber asked after he looked up from the newspaper.


	37. The Omega Shuffle 6

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.6**

I groaned. My back hurt something fierce and it felt like I pulled every muscle in my body last night. The combined sensations did absolutely nothing for my desire to enter into the waking world. Above me I could see the blurry outline of a bare sheet of riveted steel. A slight turn of my head brought the hazy image of a bed to my left only a few feet from my nest of blankets. I was in Sebastian's bedroom.

I slowly climbed to my feet, wincing. I had been so tired by the time I'd made my pallet, I'd fallen asleep before I even finished laying down. As I thought about it, sleeping on the deck of a half-sunken ship hadn't been my brightest idea. Even one of Sebastian's chairs would have been better than the cold hard metal floor. I had no idea what time it was, but my exhausted sleep didn't seem to have done anything for my injuries.

I hobbled weakly over to the bed to check on the sole occupant sleeping in it. Dinah lay curled around Sebastian's pillow, resting peacefully. I could hear her lightly snoring away as I made my way to the door. I decided not to disturb her. She needed all the rest she could get.

As quietly as I could, I opened the door just enough to squeeze through before closing it behind me. A quick look around allowed me to spot Leet past out at one of the tables, some kind of half-completed circuit board inches from his head. Uber was still out as well, half hanging off the couch. I didn't see Sebastian up here, but I had a pretty good idea where he would be. Following my hunch, I walked over to the ladder that lead to the lower decks. Wincing as I taxed tired muscles, I lowered myself down the ladder into Sebastian's main workshop.

I didn't have to look hard to find him. He was sitting as his bench assembling a rifle. However, it wasn't like the one I used. Instead of the slim design of that weapon, this one more bulky… kinda tube-shaped, I guess. I wouldn't have even guessed that much if it wasn't for the finished one that sat on the other side of the bench.

"Canister launcher?" I asked as I approached.

Sebastian nodded as he finished slotting in the huge barrel. "M-37 Falcon. Alliance tech. Lighter than the M-100 and far more versatile. Easy to use, and it can equip a variety of different ammo loads. Payloads not as nice as the M-100; only one round per, but that is where the versatility comes in."

"We can use that to put our flash-bangs and concussions farther down range right?" I asked as I slowly took a seat opposite of him.

"Absolutely. I'm also going to put together a few other things for them. EMP, explosive, incendiary, cryo; if I can find the right chemicals. One thing I always liked about the Falcon is that it's really only limited by what kind of ammo you have access too. With a few shavings of eezo I can even put together a biotic grenade. You'll love those."

I frowned but didn't comment on the more lethal grenades he suggested. Instead I nodded to his points as I tried to get comfortable. Sebastian must have noticed my fidgeting as his eyes looked up a few times as he assembled the housing.

"What's the heat dispensation like on it? Are we going to need to have Chatika make a bunch of replacement barrels like we do for the other weapons? If so we might want to think about tasking drones just for that."

Sebastian sighed. "Probably, though the Falcon is about as low heat as you can get for a Mass Accelerated weapon. Still, I haven't figured out what I'm doing wrong with blending metals. I trained as an engineer, not a machinist. I mean, you can give me a circuit board, some eezo, and a few wires and I can have it making precision jumps that will get us to Armstrong Cluster. I can create VI's that can do everything from automated defenses, hack or, well just about anything you can think of.

"Blending metals to resist the heat our weapons generate? No clue. When I was serving I just requisitioned replacement parts or made them with my omni-tool from specs I had on file. Here I'm trying to remember half forgotten things Tali once told me about how the Fleet recycled heavy metals."

I smiled to reassure him. "They've held up so far."

"True, but only because I keep swapping out burnt parts with fresh. My shotgun overheated so badly last night I'm surprised I managed to salvage half the circuitry. Housing's cracked around the vents. As it is, I'll probably just have to make a new one. Don't get me started on the Mantis. I don't know what I did wrong, but if it hadn't overheated, it probably would have blown up in my face. If this guy we're up against has a lot of resources to call on, we're going to be hard pressed to keep up at this rate."

I winced at his admission. Thoughts I had last night of how things could have been so much worse rang through my mind again. As I sat quietly Sebastian finished assembling the weapon. I didn't break out of my thoughts until he started talking again.

"How bad are you hurting?"

"What?"

Sebastian lowered the finished rifle to the table looking directly into my eyes. "You're in pain. How bad is it? You didn't tell me you took fire last night."

"How…"

"The bullets are still logged in your armor. I didn't notice until you went to sleep last night, but I figured you would have told me had any of them actually gotten through."

"I'm alright…"

Sebastian raised his eyebrow at my comment making me sigh. "Fine, Grue shot me a bunch of times though all things considered, it's not really surprising. I did shoot Tattletale first."

He grunted. "Well, your armor may have stopped you from getting seriously hurt, but it couldn't have done anything for the kinetic energy each round had. Throwing yourself through a window can't have done you any favors either."

"It isn't that bad, Sebastian. Besides, you're about the last person to grill me on daredevil maneuvers." I couldn't help but point out.

My comment made him chuckle. "I didn't say it wasn't the right move. Hell, I've done similar stunts. But, you're not trained for it and you got hurt. Take off your armor, let me have a look.

"Excuse me?" I asked shocked.

"I'm no medical doctor, but I do know a thing or two about battlefield medicine, and I have a few things here that can help you with the pain. Granted, it's not medigel, but it will do. I just need to have a look to see which one is best for your condition."

I felt my cheeks heat up but I couldn't really argue against his points. I still tried. "Um, I'm okay, really…"

"What's the matter?"

"Um," I stammered mortified. After a few awkward moments of him just staring at me I whispered, "I'm, not… I don't… have anything on under my costume."

The next few moments were excruciating as I refused to look at him in my embarrassment. I couldn't take it as the silence dragged out so I started rambling. "You brought my spare costume to the hideout and I changed into that one. My other one is at home. Along with my usual under things. I mean, I didn't expect things to get out of hand last night and I was only supposed to be getting the eezo. Just had my school clothes. Can't wear both without things being too restricting and it's not like my costume is adjustable. I mean, I had to use wire cutters last time. I didn't make my costume with my bra in mind. Usually only wear a sports bra because of how close a fit this is so…"

I couldn't help but glance at Sebastian. I didn't know what got to me more, his silence or that smirk on his face. Either way I ended up snapping at him. "What?"

He shook his head as he rose from the bench. "I'll turn my back. I promise I won't peak but you need to let me have a look at your injuries."

By now my blush felt like it was burning my face as I looked at the ladder I climbed down earlier. I bit my lip a moment before sending what spiders I had in the ship to swarm over the entrance. Unless Uber and Leet were really stupid, that should be more than enough to guarantee they didn't try coming down here while I was half dressed. As promised, Sebastian had his back turned to me. With a sigh I finally started peeling off my costume. A process that took me a few moments to complete as it aggravated my injuries.

I didn't realize how chilly the air was until I finally managed to get it over my head. It made me shiver. After a moment I glanced over my shoulder to check on Sebastian to make sure he still had his back to me as I arranged my costume to cover my immodesty.

"Um, okay…"

I hunched over the bench keeping one arm across my chest as I heard him approach. "Damn. Grue did a number on you."

"That bad?" I asked worriedly.

"Bad enough. Your whole back is black and blue. Your lucky one of his rounds didn't hit you in the back of the head where you are unarmored. His aim was bad enough to have strayed that far. I have something that will help with this though."

I looked over my bare shoulder to see Sebastian retrieve a jar from one of his cabinets. "What is it?"

"A medical topical cream I picked up a few months ago. This should cut your discomfort by quite a bit."

I turned around, trying to control my breathing as I realized how he was going to apply it. My brain seemed to shut down as the only thing I could focus on was the sounds of Sebastian preparing his hands, and where those hands were going to go in just a moment. I bit my lip and waited, determined to just survive the experience, assuming a person couldn't actually die of embarrassment. However, when I felt Sebastian's hands on my back, all of that vanished. I groaned.

His strong callous hands seemed to know exactly how much pressure to apply as they slid over back. His fingers dug into abused muscles relieving tension I didn't even know I had. Within moments I was half laying on the bench as I relaxed under his administration. "Okay, I'll give you until the end of the year to stop doing that." I half whispered as I slowly turned into a puddle of goo.

Sebastian worked silently and I wasn't in a position to carry the conversation. It wasn't until I felt my skin tingling strangely that I realized he was using his powers as well. Chills from the cool air and his efforts danced along my spine making me completely forget my earlier embarrassment about being half naked in front of him. Heavenly didn't even describe the experience.

"Where the did you learn this?" I finally mumbled from my costume pillow.

I heard as well as felt him chuckle behind me. "Finally noticed the mass effect fields? You're lucky. On the Citadel, asari charge a fortune for this. You don't have to be a powerful biotic but it does require a fine control to manipulate the fields just right. Not something most can say outside of the asari.

"As for where I learned it, in the field. There were long stretches where my squad would be behind enemy lines as we tried to complete objectives. Spent a lot of time after I attained my N6 designation doing just that. When I was running my anti piracy task force some of those stretches lasted for months. With a couple of biotics working in tandem you can get a squad through some nightmarish situations. Especially when combat stims and medigel are in short supply. In situations like that you have to figure out a few things to keep yourself and your people going. Didn't help the Alliance was cheap about supplies. Feeling better?"

I couldn't form coherent words. Instead I simply moaned in reply. Whatever the pain reliever was in that cream had pretty much taken the bite out of my injuries and I was selfishly just enjoying the moment.

Or, I was until I heard someone upstairs fall over something and cursed. The sudden noise brought me instantly out of my torpor reminding me of my situation. That of being half naked with Sebastian's hands on my bare back.

My body stiffened as I jumped at the sound. In my relaxed state I also had relaxed my grip on the part of my costume covering my front. As I corrected that I felt Sebastian's hands leave me. With my back still to him I simply sat frozen trying to think of something to say, but the only things that I came up with sounded lame even in my head. Without saying a word, Sebastian walked away before he climbed the ladder. I still hadn't moved from my position when I heard the hatch close.

I sighed as I dropped my head back down to the bench. For a few seconds I simply sat there feeling equally mortified as well as, several other feelings that I wasn't sure I was willing to admit too without complicating things even more. Eventually I looked over my shoulder. Once I confirmed Sebastian had closed the hatch to this room, I started to put my costume back on. As I finished up I couldn't deny that was probably the most intimate thing I'd ever experienced. Even more so than him sharing his memories with me because this was, well for lack of a better thought, in the real world.

Which did absolutely nothing for my renewed embarrassment. Still sitting I looked back to the hatch, absentmindedly worrying my lip. First the kiss at my house that wasn't a kiss. Then he sort of hinted at a date in the middle of a firefight, and now this.

After several moments I sighed still not any wiser to what was going on between us. "Yeah, this isn't going to be awkward…"

_XxXExiledXxX_

I managed to open the door with one hand while not dropping anything. A noteworthy feat considering my introspection. Awkward didn't really cover things between Sebastian and me. The whole time I was in the kitchen he wouldn't look at me. That hurt. The worst part was I wasn't sure if it was because of my embarrassment earlier, or if it was something to do with him.

I pushed that bit of drama away as shut the door behind me. Instead I put a smile on my face as I turned to the little girl looking at me from over the covers she was swallowed in.

"Hi. Feeling better?"

Dinah nodded slowly. I walked over putting down the tray I was carrying before pulling up a chair next to her. Once I was settled I turned my attention to the girl in front of me noticing a single tear rolling down her small face.

"Hey, don't cry. You're safe here," I whispered. I didn't really have a lot of experience with kids, never even babysat for anyone. I reached over and gently pushed her hair away from her face. I remembered that my Mom used to do this for me when I had a nightmare and she checked on me at night. It always made me feel better. Like she with her mere presence alone could dispel the monsters in my room.

After a few moments Dinah seemed calm enough. "I've brought you something to eat. I bet you're hungry."

She was. It didn't take long for her to devour the bowl of oatmeal I had made or to eat the toast. I fought my sigh as I thought how Dinah didn't have imaginary monsters hunting her, but real ones. Which reminded me of several issues we had and some we were going to have soon.

Like our supplies. Sebastian wasn't equipped to deal with four extra people in his hideout. We were going to need more food at the very least. Chatika was back up and running so we had our fabrications back but we still needed other things. Leet mentioned needing some things from their warehouse and just like me they didn't have any change of cloths. Things like that were really going to make things difficult unless we did something about them.

As Dinah finished her breakfast I compiled a list of things I figured we'd need on my omni tool. Foodstuffs would be easy enough to smuggle in but some of the things on the list would require alternative measures. Maybe Leet had something that would help? I just made a note to ask him when I felt Dinahs hand on my arm breaking my concentration.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what to say..."

"You don't need too. I'm just glad I was close by when things went down."

Dinah looked away but kept her hand on my arm. "What are you going to do with me?"

"Do with you?"

She still hadn't turned. As I watched her think for a moment I noticed she was biting her lip. "You know what I can do, what my power is. I remember last night you said you were going to help me but... What… what do you want from me?"

"Nothing."

That got her to look at me. It was disconcerting having her study me so directly but I held my self in place continuing to smile reassuringly. "You should want something."

I shook my head. "I don't. Your power is remarkable Dinah, but it is _your_ power. Like the rest of us, you have to decide how you want to use it, and who you want to use it for. When I got my powers all I could think about was being a hero. You know, helping others and fighting crime. I thought it would be the balance to all the bad things that had happened to me."

Her face scrunched in confusion. "But I thought you were a villain. I mean," My smile became more bemused as Dinah blushed and admitted, "I, um, heard you talking to your minions last night. Not everything but a little bit. You have Uber and Leet working for you so I just sort of figured you were a villain too."

"Maybe I am," I admitted. "But, I'm quickly figuring out that it's not black and white like it is on TV. The things I want to do to help the Bay, they're complicated and it's going to take a lot to get it off the ground. Setting things up hasn't been easy, and I will admit, I've had to do a few things I didn't want to get this far. Maybe when we actually do get this thing done it still won't be enough to balance the bad things I've done, or the things I'm going to do, but I like to think that it will be. All I do know is there are a lot of people in the city who need help, and not all of it can be fixed with a cape fight."

Which reminded me again that I had things I needed to do. "Listen, I'm going to have to go for a bit. I need to check on a few things in the city but you won't be alone. Uber and Leet will be here if you need anything. You don't have to worry about them though. They're on your side. Just like we are and they'll keep you safe until Sebastian gets back."

I felt her hand tighten on my arm. "Please come back."

I opened my mouth but her grip became stronger. Looking into her eyes I could feel her desperation. It wasn't fear of Uber and Leet though, I was pretty certain of that. "Please!"

I was set to tell her I couldn't when something hit me. After what she's been through, with all that has happened to her, how could I tell her that I had my own problems to deal with? I thought of Mr. Gladly who saw me cornered by Emma and her flunkies. How he looked right at me but then turned and walked away. He knew something was wrong, he knew I was in trouble, and yet because it would have caused issues for him, he turned his back on me and let them have their way like all the teachers did. This situation wasn't the same, but the underlying theme was. Was I going to do what was right for Dinah, or what was convenient for me?

I had decided before I even finished my thought. I swallowed thickly and nodded. "Okay. I'll be back later alright? I still have to make a run into the city though, so it will be later this evening."

"Thank you…"

I patted her hand before collecting her dishes. "Uber brought some clothes for you. If you want to get cleaned up and change I'll show you where the bathroom is, alright?"

Dinah nodded giving me a small smile. I think it was the first one she's had in sometime and it warmed me to know I was part of why she could smile.

I just turned my back to open the door when I heard her whisper. "I'm sorry."

With my hand still on the door I turned back to her frowning slightly at her tone. Something about it sent chills down my spine. "For what?"

The smile was gone from her face and she was hunched into herself. Her hands played with the blanket as if it was the most fascinating game in the world. "For what's going to happen… What helping me is going to cost you. I'm sorry. I wish..."

"Stop," I commanded. My tone wasn't harsh, but it was direct. Dinah's eyes were wide as she quickly looked up at me. I took a deep breath before I started talking again. Partially concentrating on not making my voice as sharp as it was a moment ago.

"I thought being here interfered with your powers?"

Little shoulders shrugged. "It does, but somethings still get through. My power's weird sometimes, just happens even when I don't want it too. Like right now. If I try and use it, I don't get any percentages, but just now, I couldn't help but see several…"

"Stop," I commanded again. Again I got that look. I turned to the door for a moment thinking out exactly what I was going to say so I didn't bungle this. "Dinah, I'm going to tell you something Sebastian told me a few weeks ago. We were on a stake out, watching some drug dealers. Getting a layout of their place of business before we hit them. We were talking about his past and I was commenting on how unfair a lot of it was.

"Where Sebastian is from, he was an important person. A real hero like you wouldn't believe. I wouldn't go so far as to call him a 'White Knight' but a hero nonetheless. He was telling me about some of the things he'd done and I commented on how unfair it was that he gave everything, _everything_ for the cause and in the end people just kept asking for more. Even when he gave all he had to give, sacrificed all that was important to him, they still asked for more. Not only expecting it, but demanding it.

"Sebastian nodded to my point but said to me if he didn't do it, who would? If he hadn't stepped up and shouldered the load they wanted him too, would anyone else have? If someone did, would they have been able too?

"He said to me, 'There are only two certainties in life. The first, it's going to end at some point. The second, the only thing a person can control is the choices they make while living that life. I chose to help people. I chose to fight. I could have walked away or found a way to get something out of it, but I chose not too. I have no regrets for my choices and no control over the choices of others. Choice is the only freedom we have as sentient beings and it should never be denied. No matter the consequences."

I turned back to Dinah smiling slightly. "I thought long and hard after he told me that. When I thought about what he said and applied it to some things in my own life I decided he had the right of it. I am not responsible for the choices of others, only for my own. Just like you are not responsible for possible consequences of choices other people make no matter what your power tells you. The things I do, I do because I think they are right. Helping you is something I feel is right. I made the choice to help you of my own free will. Even if something bad results of it, I'd do it again because I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't."

Dinah didn't say anything else and neither did I. After showing her the shower I went about cleaning the dishes and returned to my thoughts. This was going to cause a shit storm later. I knew it, but I'd deal with the consequences. This was the right thing to do.

_XxXExiledXxX_

I quick stop at the my hideout allowed me to change into my school clothes from yesterday and stash my costume. It was decided that despite how it would slow down some things we'd do things in shifts. Sebastian went off to meet Gamble and see about the cape he wanted to recruit, while I would go home. Afterward we'd pick up a few things on my list before heading back and then Uber and Leet would head out for the rest of the supplies we would need.

That was the plan anyways but one thing I was figuring out fast since I entered the cape scene was plans rarely turned out the way I wanted them too. It was with that feeling that I walked a few blocks away from my hideout and called a cab to take me home.

Once the cab picked me up I spend my transit time just thinking about everything that had happened. Working with Sebastian, Project Undine, the fight last night. I felt my cheeks heat up as I thought about this morning. Lost in my thoughts time passed by in a blur. It seemed like we just got started when I felt the car slow down. Looking up I noticed we arrived at my house and sitting in the driveway was dad's car.

By the time I paid the driver, Dad was standing at the back door looking at me. He looked calm which told me all I needed to know about how much trouble I was in.

I approached a little awkwardly. "Hey, Dad."

"Taylor," He greeted me while stepping back and indicating I was to enter the house.

Yeah, he was _pissed_.

I walked in the house and took a seat at the kitchen table where he indicated I should. After a moment he took a seat at his usual place. "You did not come home last night. You didn't even call, Taylor."

Guilt weighed me down as I looked at him. "I know. Things just got, kinda out of hand last night."

Dad sighed as he wiped his face tiredly. "Taylor, I have never known you to be so irresponsible as you have been acting the last few weeks."

I looked at the table to hide my anger at his words. I tried to keep calm by telling myself he didn't know, couldn't know, what had happened. I opened my mouth to speak when he raised his hand stopping me.

"When were you going to tell me you were skipping school?"

My eyes widened as my stomach seized. Fuck. I guess the school finally got around to telling him.

"Actually hadn't planned on it," I mumbled.

Dad's eyes narrowed at my comment. I could see his jaw clench slightly as he stared at me. Okay, probably not the best choice of words, but it was the truth. I figured they'd just let me fade into obscurity the way they always did. Just thankful I wasn't around to cause problems. Guess I figured wrong.

"That is not what I expected to hear from you. You missed over a week of classes, Taylor. Do you have any idea how hard it's going to be to catch up to your classmates when you go back?"

I flinched at his tone but at the thought of my 'classmates,' my anger got the better of me. "I'm not going back."

"Taylor, I know you're having a hard time there but…"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not going back. I'm done. I'll get my GED online or something. Before…" I faltered a moment but caught myself easily enough to only stutter a bit. "...the bullying I had good grades. Hell, I got awards when I graduated primary. I can do it. I don't need Winslow."

"Taylor," Dad sighed. "I don't think you've thought this through. First, dropping out isn't an option as I'm not going to let you. Second, while I do believe you are smart enough to get your GED, do you realize that prospective colleges or employers take note of that when they look at applications? I see it all the time at the Union, employers often only take workers, even for menial jobs, that have a full high school diploma."

"I don't care, Dad. I'm not going back to Winslow. If I thought for an instant I could get transferred to Arcadia, I might have thought about it, but that isn't ever going to happen and I know it. Even if we could afford Arcadia, there's like, what, a year or two wait for admittance right? No, I'll get my GED."

"And what about collage, Taylor?" Dad asked switching tracks. "You know that your Mom and I always expected you to go. How do you expect to get into a good college with a GED?"

I felt my eye twitch when he mentioned Mom. It was a low blow and he fucking knew it but I held my course. "I'm not going to a university."

"Taylor…"

Again I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I just don't see me doing that right now."

"What happened to you Taylor?" Dad asked confused. "Ever since you started seeing this Shepherd boy you have been acting out of character. Where is my daughter?"

"Sebastian didn't change me, Dad. The locker did."

Dad flinched at the word 'locker'. This was the first time since it happened I ever mentioned it openly. I strained my shoulders looking at him determined even as I felt my tears running down my face. Half in anger at this situation and half in resignation. I swallowed the bile I felt creeping up my throat as I stood up from my seat. I made my choice. "I'm so sorry, Dad."

I turned away from him heading into the living room. I ignored him calling my name even as I took the stairs up to my room. I didn't lock the door or even close it as I emptied my backpack onto my bed and began filling it with clothes. A few other personal things I'd collected over the years found their way into it as well, but space was limited so I had to be choosy. As I considered my next move I emptied my gym bag putting a few things in it.

Dad didn't immediately follow me so I had a moment. I activated my omni tool. "Chatika?"

"Yes, Taylor?" The VI answered. I frowned slightly as I noticed her voice seemed to be slightly subdued but didn't bring it up.

"I need a cab called to pick me up at my house. Sooner the better."

"Should I inform Commander Shepard to the change in plans?"

"Just send him a message to meet me at the mall. I'm going to pick up a few things while I wait for him."

"Acknowledged."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome, Taylor." For just a second I thought she was going to say something else but she didn't and the line cut off. At the same time I sensed Dad getting up and start walking upstairs. I finished packing my bag just as he entered my room.

"Taylor, what are you doing?"

I turned to find my dad blocking the doorway with his body. I could feel every insect in a three block radius suddenly still. It took me a moment to fight my connection to them to keep them where they were instead of stampeding to my defense. Instead I looked my dad in the eye trying to gauge how this was going to end. I can honestly say what I saw didn't appeal to me on any level.

"You want to know where your daughter is?" I whispered. As low as my voice was, his flinch was enough tell for me to know he heard me. "She still in that locker. The girl that came out, she is something else now."

My tears continued falling down my face as I studied Dad's confused reaction. "I'm a parahuman, Dad. A cape."

Dad flinched and for just a moment, in his eyes I saw what I was always afraid I would if I told him. _Fear._ I don't think he could have hurt me more if he stabbed me.

"Taylor, what…"

"I have _powers_ Dad. I've had them since I was put in that locker. You want to know why I don't want to go to Winslow? I'll tell you! It's because sooner or later my tormentors are going to do something that will push me to use my powers against them. I've already come close a few times. Fuck, I can barely hold it at bay right now…"

And it was true. I felt like I was fighting a war on two fronts. Even with me pushing back against my power I could feel every insect in my range slowly making their way to me.

"Taylor… Who…?"

I shook my head fiercely. "I'm not telling you who I am in costume or what I can do. I will say I haven't joined any of the gangs in the city and I won't." Even as Dad sagged slightly in relief I put the final nail in this conversation. "I also won't join the Wards."

Not that I thought they would take me after I robbed Bay Central and humiliated them.

Dad recouped better than I figured he would. "Taylor, I understand this is hard, but can't you just… not use them? I mean, no one has to know. You can be normal if you just don't use them! We can figure everything else out..."

Not use my powers? Hell, I was struggling just to keep my bugs from attacking him! How the hell was I going to not use them at all? I thought about what Sebastian told me on Captain's Hill. About how he tried to not use his biotics, pretended he couldn't, and how well that worked out for him when he lost himself in a powered rage.

I slowly shook my head. I wasn't going down that route. I hated myself for what I was doing to my Dad, but if this was how it was going to end, if I was going to lose him anyways, I was going to do it telling him the truth. Like his daughter. "It's way too late for that, Dad. My power almost drove me insane when it started working. Now, it's as much as part of me as my hands or feet. I can't _not_ use it! I'm sorry, this is who I am now and there is _no_ going back."

I grabbed my backpack and my half empty gym bag as I walked past him heading down stairs. Instead of the the kitchen I headed for the basement. I couldn't afford to leave anything behind. With dad lagging behind I quickly made my way down the rickety steps tossing my gym bag on the table. Every black widow spider in the room immediately crawled inside as I retrieved my costume and the other cape things I left here. It only took me a moment to finish loading it before I was walking back upstairs. Dad stood in the living room looking at me as I exited the basement stairwell. I looked away unable to look at his heartbroken face.

"You're leaving."

"It's better this way, Dad."

"No."

I took in a shuddering breath still keeping my back to him as I fought the hardest fight of my life. "I'm not asking for permission Dad. Something happened. Something big. I have to take care of it or things will get worse."

My march to the door was interrupted by my dad's hand on my arm. Him grabbing me spun me around as well as triggered every bug in the room to respond.

I suddenly found myself surrounded in a nimbus of flying, angry insects. Shocked, Dad jerked his hand back as one of my spider tried to scramble up his arm. I watched him back up several steps while I grabbed a hold of my power with every fiber of my being.

It seemed to take forever before I could disperse the flyers back outside. I sent them as far from me as I could while the crawlers went back into their homes. the spider that tried to attack my dad ran up my pant leg and up my body before it disappeared in my hair. None of this was missed by my dad who just stared at me in horror.

I swallowed thickly trying to ignore my own tears. The silence wasn't broken until I heard the cab's horn outside. "I'm so sorry, Dad, but I have to go."

"Taylor, you can't do this, it's dangerous to be a cape in Brockton Bay! Please, you could get hurt…"

"I know." I started slowly backpedaling to the door.

"Then don't do this!" he half shouted as he matched my pace.

"Remember what you always told me was the foundation of your job? 'A Union Boss must always do what is right, and not what is easy.' You always told me that was what separated you from the crooked ones. You never loaned out your boys to villains, you never took kickbacks. We could have used the money after my hospital bills started coming in, but you never once did what was 'easy.' Even when they threatened you. I can't either."

I felt my back touch the door. Before I lost my nerve I turned and opened it looking back at my dad one last time. I didn't know when I would see him again but not for a long time I was sure. Definitely not until we put this thinker in the ground. "I love you, Dad."

"Taylor…"

I fled.

***Authors Note:

Chase92,


	38. The Omega Shuffle Interlude

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: Interlude**

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** Topic: What the Fuck Happened?**  
**In: Boards ► News ► Events ►America ►Brockton Bay (Public Board)**  
**FlamingMusketShot**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

Okay, so am I the only person who woke up this morning and wondered if I was teleported into a fucking third world country? I mean, what the hell happened in the Docks? We got so many cops out here it's like someone is giving away free donuts!

Hell, I heard some of it last night but figured it was just another gang fight between the ABB and the Empire. Then this morning (when it was safe because only an idiot would actually go out there during that shit) I went out and I'm in the middle of Baconfest!

News said it was just a gang fight that got out of hand but from what I saw they're STILL pulling bodies from the wreckage of one of the buildings. I saw a freaking car hanging out of a third floor building like it was parked there! Come on, someone has to know something! I mean, this areas never been what anyone would call safe (even if you paid your rents) but this kind of shit is freaking me out!

EDIT: Okay, board rules say I have to post something here that contributes to this topic but I don't know much. What I do know comes from when I crossed Derringer Street. And that was enough!

-There is a freaking car hanging out of the third floor of the old Wesley Hotel.

-Cops have about two blocks cordoned off so you can't get close due to a couple of the buildings being unstable.

-The guy they pulled from one of the buildings looked like an army dude.

**(Showing Page 5 of 7)**

**readstoomuch**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

Holy crap is that video for real?

**Blue Eldar**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

OMG. No words...

**Xake the Dark**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

What I want to know is who pissed off Renegade? More importantly, I want to know WHAT pissed him off so I can avoid ever even thinking about it!

**Nancy**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

Xake the Dark: Isn't he that guy you were telling me about a couple of weeks ago Xake? The one who stopped those Empire guys from chasing you?

**► Sgt Winston  
**

Posted on April 16th, 2011:

The image of the video is worse than bad. Didn't help that the guy doing the recording spent half the time running around with his hand shaking so bad you can't get a clear idea of what is actually happening. Still, crazy bullshit aside (like how that guys powers seem to be all over the spectrum) anyone else notice the way he was fighting? Not talking about powers here.

It had to watch it a few times to be sure, but about a third of the way through, right before he vanishes into the cafe, when he was in that alley? I watched that a few times as that was about the only time the camera guy held still. Renegade has military training. Definitely Special Forces of some kind. There's no hesitation in his movements. Every action precise, planned, and executed as if he spent a good portion of his career in the trenches. The way he was fighting there reminded me of some of the tactics we used abroad when I was serving. Not the powers stuff, but the actual tactics.

Not to sound like a tin foil or anything but are we dealing with a government experiment that went sideways? Are they trying to get back some poor parahuman weapon they created but got free? Or am I just reading too much into this?

**►Xake the Dark**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

.Nancy: Yeah, him and Matriarch stopped them from catching me. I thought I was had until until they dropped in on them but they didn't fight like that! Yeah they beat them up pretty good but nothing they wouldn't recover from in a couple of weeks, and they didn't kill anyone!

**►Dead Blue**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

Can we even trust this video? I mean the poster said he got it from a friend in the ABB. Thats not exactly a reliable source. And like said, its not exactly the best quality, even for a cell video.

Its more likely he used to be one of Coils guys. Unlike the E88 and ABB, Coils people do wear military fatigues and rumor has it they're all ex-military. Think about it, Renegade showed up about five months back right? At least thats when the rumors started. Well, according to a few people I know Coils been more active in the last few months than he ever has. Something has to be up with that.

**►KingVoidDog**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

Did Renegade just throw a _body_ at that guy!? Who the fuck is he? Rambo and the Terminator's love child? And what's with the freaking cockroaches!? Since when do they try and eat people!

...man I'm never going to be able to look at a roach the same way again...

**►Brickwallsaga**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

.Blue Elder: No doubt…  
Dead Blue: Yeah man, its legit. My old lady's brother is a cop and he said all that went down.  
KingVoidDog: Man, I would laugh, but there is nothing funny about that shit. I dont know what went down, but something BIG is going on and I'm not too sure the heros even know what it's about.

**►FlameingMusketShot (Original Poster)**  
Posted on April 16th, 2011:

Man, I wish I hadn't asked now...

End of Page. 1,2,3,4,**5**,6,7

** Private messages from LoadedNightTrain**

**LoadedNightTrain:** Interesting proposal. Hypothetically, if I knew how to arrange such a contact, why should I?  
**Eris's Favored:** like i told you, i'm just checking out my options and you're the only lead i found that could put me in contact with her. do it or don't.  
**LoadedNightTrain:** You surely understand that there are… security concerns that need to be addressed.  
**Eris's Favored:** yeah. so are you or not?  
**LoadedNightTrain:** Not, I think. It is illegal to work with or have unreported knowledge of alleged villains. Good luck in your search.  
**Eris's Favored:** hey, i'm not going to narc on you or anything.  
**Eris's Favored:** LNT? you there? what the fuck?

** Topic: Anyone else notice the new trend?**  
**In: Boards ► Places ► America ►Brockton Bay ► Teams **  
**Samus546 (Original Poster)**  
Posted on April 4th, 2011:

Board off my ass today so decided to go exploring through the boards and noticed something weird and was wondering if anyone else noticed it too. Seems to be a lot of capes making teams. Heros and Villains. It hit me when I saw the comment on Lightstrike joining up with Star Fire. Thats like the sixth reference in the last two months of new groups hooking up. Is that like, normal or am I just seeing things?

(Showing page 1 of 1)

**► Blaze**  
Replied on April 5th, 2011:

It happens man. Groups form and break all the time in a cape city. I'm from Chicago and every now and then we see a spike of groups forming or breaking. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

**► Bad Dog**  
Replied on April 5th, 2011:

Blaze: Dunno, I agree with Samus546. I've noticed the same thing.

**► Samus546 (Original Poster)**  
Replied on April 6th, 2011:

So what, protection maybe? I dont think I read anything significant about the ABB or Empire doing anything big recently but we suddenly have Star Fire, Shakers, The Vanguard, Two Blocks West, and a couple of others I can't remember. Just sayin that it seems weird that the capes are banning together like that.

**► Keelah Se'lai**  
Replied on April 6th, 2011:

The Shakers were all killed on March 3rd, 2011. Star Fire formed due to aggressive Azn Bad Boy tactics against solo heros operating in the southeastern section of the Vanguard broke up four days ago when one of their members was killed during a raid on an Empire Eighty Eight Storehouse. As yet there is no indication if they will reform or join another group. Two Blocks West is affiliated with Empire Eighty Eight.

**► Eris's Favored**  
Replied on April 6th, 2011:

Wow Keelah Se'lai. I didn't read any news on that stuff. Where did you get that information? Do you work for the PD or Protectorate? Cape Wife maybe or just Cape Geek?

**► Keelah Se'lai.**  
Replied on April 6th, 2011:

The information is accurate and based primarily on information gained on this site. I will provide several links to the information sources I utilized.

[Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link]

**► Samus546 (Original Poster)**  
Replied on April 6th, 2011:

Holy fuck. How the hell did you find all this shit!?

End of Page. 1

** Private messages from Keelah Se'lai**

**Keelah Se'lai:** It could be interpreted that cape activities is a hobby of mine. Was there specific information you were curious about?  
**Eris's Favored:** yeah actually. i was looking at some of the gangs local to brockton bay. you know, trying to get a feel for who they are and what they are about. you seem to know alot about them so i thought i'd ask what your thoughts were.  
**Keelah Se'lai:** Is your interest in the smaller gangs or the larger organizations? It makes a difference to the information I could provide.  
**Eris's Favored:** smaller ones. everyone knows about the large groups.  
**Keelah Se'lai:** Here is the data you requested. [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link]  
**Eris's Favored:** Jesus Fucking Christ on a bicycle. do you have this shit just laying around? its going to take me a week to go through all this crap.  
**Eris's Favored:** hey got a minute?  
**Keelah Se'lai:** I do not have a parahuman ability to capture time.  
**Eris's Favored:** your weird you know that?  
**Keelah Se'lai:** Did you have an inquiry?  
**Eris's Favored:** huh? yeah. kinda. i finally got through all those links you sent me but i noticed you didn't have anything on Matriarch or Renegade in there. they're a new group too.  
**Keelah Se'lai:** [Link] This is the official page dedicated to that topic.  
**Eris's Favored:** yeah i know. i read that thread. i was looking for other stuff on them.  
**Keelah Se'lai:** I am unable to assist in the gathering of intelligence on this topic.  
**Eris's Favored:** you listed everything on the other guys.  
**Eris's Favored:** look, hypothetically, if i asked if you knew those guys, what would you say?  
**Keelah Se'lai:** Hypothetically if you were to ask me that question, my response would be 'No'.

** Private messages from Redacted**

**Redacted:** You are very persistent.  
**Eris's Favored:** what?  
**Redacted:** What do you want with Matriarch?  
**Eris's Favored:** hey, do you know her?  
**Redacted: **Answer.  
**Eris's Favored:** no need to be a douche. i'm just curious.  
**Redacted:** I've heard from several sources you are more than just 'curious'. Last chance.  
**Eris's Favored: **man okay, look, i am curious. she looks like she might have something going on and i might 'know' someone who could help her. got me?  
**Redacted:** I see. Cease all attempts to find her or Renegade. Matriarch will contact you if she feels your skill set would be useful. You are drawing the wrong kind of attention. I have already had to sanitize an alert with the PRT over your inquiries. I wont do it again.  
**Eris's Favored:** for fucking real? isn't tracking people's searches illegal or something?  
**Eris's Favored:** hey, you there?  
**Eris's Favored:** what the fuck, you can't just lay something like that on someone and bail!  
**Redacted:** Suit up. You have five minutes to be outside.  
**Eris's Favored:** how the fuck did you know I was online? what do you mean i have five minutes?  
**Redacted *New Message*:** Look out your window and you will see me across the cul de sac next to the blue van. You have three minutes to be standing in front of me if you want to meet M or I am leaving. I will not contact you again.

The young girl stared disbelievingly at the computer with wide eyes before jumping to the window. Her fingers parted the blinds roughly, which did more to hinder her view than aid it at first. Once she corrected her grip, she noticed that across the street, like the message said, was a tall guy wearing a motorcycle helmet next to van that definitely didn't belong to the crackheads who lived in that house.

Was that Renegade? Body size was about right from what she read on the PHO. How the fuck did he figure out where she lived? Was he serious about this? Her brown eyes turned to the computer screen again to make sure when she wasn't losing it.

**Redacted *New Message*:** 2min. Standing at the window staring at me isn't suiting up.

_I don't have a costume!_ she screamed in her mind. Not that it seemed to matter since they obviously knew who she was, but still! Frantically looking around the room, something in her open closet caught her attention. Two quick steps and she lifted up the cheap plastic mask that was part of her Halloween costume from last year. The comical green goblin face smiled widely at her as she held it in her hands.

It would have to do, she thought, as she grabbed her purse and unplugged her computer instead of waiting to turn it off. She only paused long enough to grab her hoodie, throwing it on as she half ran through the house. Thank god her mom was already passed out so she didn't have to do anything to get out undetected. This was her chance to prove to her brother once and for all she had what it took to be a cape in the Bay. Maybe once she did he would finally stop treating her like a fucking kid who couldn't be trusted with important shit.

_XxXExiledXxX_

Miss Militia stood as still as a statue at the center of the room. Around the costumed woman were thirty monitors adorning the walls. Some she had to turn her head to see clearly, which is something the cape did from time to time. Not that she needed too as she had long since committed the content of each screen to memory.

It was just after midnight and she was alone. Likely she would remain that way until the morning. Such was the benefit/curse of her power. Unlike everyone else, she didn't need to sleep. She could, but it wasn't sleep like with everyone else. If she 'slept' it was more of something she thought she ought to do, not really need. She also never dreamed, instead she relived random past memories in minute detail. It was actually one of her earliest memories from just after she got her powers that brought her here to bring up these particular sources. Regardless of whether she needed to sleep or not, she knew it was likely she wasn't the only one who was preoccupied by the topic of her current search.

Every screen was dominated by a different video feed running unendingly, a website that held a reference to her search (most of those from Parahumans Online), or an open file from the secured server within the Protectorate data banks. Each one dedicated to the two capes that had shaken the city with a display of violence not easily matched. Matriarch and Renegade.

It was needless to say, this situation had caught the attention of the higher ups in a big way. Gunfire in the docks was not an uncommon occurrence to be honest. Gang fights happened in the city. Especially a cape city like Brockton Bay. That could be understood even if not condoned. However the event of last week that had captured everyone's attention wasn't a drive by or even a turf skirmish. No, this was something else. Something she, and the director incidentally, recognized intimately.

War, and not the idiotic, hair brained thoughts of war that some of the local gangs got into. She saw the evidence with her own eyes when she arrived on scene. That was a full out platoon level firefight with, of all god damn things, tinker grade weaponry. Even an inexperienced eye wouldn't have had trouble seeing that for what it was. The body count aside, anyone who ever served or survived a battlefield would only need one look at the remains of the landscape to know the truth.

Something happened that turned the newest capes in the city from hunting down drug pushers into… that. Whatever had set off Matriarch to make an example of Coil had side effects Miss Militia was sure the cape didn't anticipate. Violence of this level drew attention, and this situation was very well known at the 'top'.

Matriarch now had the full attention of the Director of the local Protectorate focused solely on her and her team. Understandable really considering the pressure coming from Washington to get her house in order. The threat of 'or else' didn't need to be said, but it was understood. The dark haired cape knew the director was looking to nip this in the bud before whatever this was turned into open warfare between the various villain groups. Rumor through various contacts even stated the main villains in the city were setting a meet to discuss the repercussions. That could mean anything from shifting alliances, calling in favors, or banding together to put down the transgressor before the Protectorate called in reinforcements and cleaned house.

It went without saying that from their perspective, this little fiasco was 'bad for business'. It was also, too late to do anything about, though they didn't know it yet. The Director wasn't playing this one with kid gloves. Reinforcements were already inbound. Miss Militia canted her head to the side slightly as she thought. She knew who, even argued against it, but even she didn't know when they would arrive. Soon though. He was always timely in the past.

Which in turn brought her back to her current assignment and why she was once again going over all the data they had on the Brockton Bay's newest villains. The PHO was full of rumor and speculation. Normal people who were helped by the duo chiming in here and there, speculation from the various self-proclaimed 'cape geeks', with very few hard facts to support much. Sadly, it was actually through here they even knew what they did about what happened that night, and who did the killing thanks to the cell phone video that was taken during the firefight. Miss Militia felt confident that it was that fact alone that caused the Director to take her current course. Even over her very strenuous objections. Sadly, she knew in her gut this was a mistake. Nothing good was going to come from bringing him in.

"Well, isn't this a surprise. Didn't expect to see you so soon Hannah…"

Hannah spun around quickly. Her power coalesced into a pair of twin TEC-9s in her hands. Both weapons pointed instantly at the man who she didn't know was behind her. She scowled, and not just because he took her by surprise. Not that he could see it hidden by her spangled scarf across her face. She easily recognized him by his voice alone, not that she wouldn't have by his costume. Long dark duster, brown Stetson, and that stupid red bandana around his face. Might even be the same one he wore back when they last crossed paths considering it's condition.

"You don't get to call me that Ayres." She hissed. "You _never_ get to call me by my name again."

Ayres chuckled seemingly not bothered that she drew on him. The smug bastard didn't even seem worried when she disengaged the safeties out of habit. "There was a time you liked it when I called you by your name..."

"That was before you lied to me."

"I never lied to you. I was always honest about my work."

"You told me you were a hero!"

"Is not hunting villains something heroes do?"

Still keeping her weapons trained on him she took a steadying breath before she replied. "No matter what you tell yourself when you look in the mirror, Ayres, you are no hero. You take money to hunt down parahumans."

The man opposite of her shrugged unconcerned. "A man has to eat, and hunting down villains is very profitable. Besides, the only difference between us is you draw a smaller but steady paycheck to solve problems for the Protectorate. I work on commission hunting problems too big for you and your people. Still, seems to be pretty much the same line of work. Only I took the path of higher risk, higher reward. Besides, it's all perfectly legal."

Still scowling she finally lowered her weapons but didn't let go of them. She had to remind herself that he was here by order of the Director, her boss, so that pretty much made him untouchable. Miss Militia had to content herself with the thought that when he finally did push too hard, go too far, she would be there and end this farce. "A far cry from the same thing, Ayres, but I'm not having this argument with you again. I still can't believe you're the 'outside consultant' the Director brought in."

Ayres chuckled softly. "No doubt. I was just as surprised as you were when she contacted me. Yet, here we are, same team again."

She narrowed her eyes before taking a threatening step forward. "Let us be clear, _mercenary_. We are _not_ on the same team. You will do as the director instructs, and god willing, leave this city in the same condition in which you entered it. There will be no vigilantism during this mission. You will capture them, _alive_ mind you, and then _leave_."

"I know what my contract states. Like always, I'll follow it to the letter." Ayres stated still seemingly unpulsed by her aggressive stance. After a moment of them staring at each other he waved at the screens. "That the data on my targets?"

Miss Militia nodded before finally holstered her weapons at her sides. Ayres walked next to her not commenting when she added a space between them when he got too close. "Armsmasters reports are there, the few video feeds that have caught them during cape activities and of course the one that night."

The man beside her grunted. "Camera shy aren't they. Noticed you don't have any video from the Bay Central robbery."

Still fighting with her temper she pulled on her professionalism to get through this. "The cameras were down through the whole building. Witness reports are there, there, and there. After-action reports from the Wards that engaged them are over there. Matriarch and Renegade have proven to be quite adept at shutting them down when they are working. Much to Armsmaster's frustration."

"How are the Wards holding up? Bet they shit themselves when they heard about the firefight in the docks. It's not every day you realize you fought someone who could have turned you inside out before making a cup of coffee and going about their day."

She raised an eyebrow at his question. "Since when have you cared for the feelings of others?"

"I've always cared Han, I just don't let it get in the way of my work."

"Still as charming as ever Ayres." Miss Militia snarked. "To answer your question, they're justifiably shaken, though they are brave children and are handing it as well as can be expected. They are also not listed as assets for you to use, so don't even think about it. Any questions you have can be delivered to me. If you feel the need to talk to them yourself, I, or someone I designate, will be on hand during the interview."

"Not giving an inch are you?"

"No."

"Fair enough." Ayres nodded still unconcerned. "I have my own team anyways."

She stood uneasy watching the man next to her as he assimilated the information around them. He had a team now? Did the director know? Was that authorized? It looked like she had plans first thing in the morning to talk to her boss. If Ayres had a team of his own then this situation was already spinning the wrong way. Ayres broke the silence she fell in as her mind raced. "All video seem to be from cell phones except that one there."

He looked to the screen he indicated taking a moment to go over what she knew about it. "Yes, that was the first video that surfaced involving Matriarch. Some sort of trade with a pair of local villains called Uber and Leet. No audio, however posts on the PHO state that Uber and Leet didn't offer one with audio either. The poster most likely ripped the feed from their servers somehow."

"_Keelah Se'lai._ Strange name." Ayres commented as he looked over the post in question but didn't add further as his eyes moved to the screen that showed the video running in an unending loop. "Renegade was operating in the Bay for a few months before Matriarch showed, right?"

"As best as Armsmaster can tell, yes."

"Setting up shop then. Not an uncommon tactic for a group looking to establish themselves in new territory. Was Armsmaster able to definitely link Renegade to any of these crimes?" Ayres asked.

"No, though he stated in his report, and Dragon agreed, that alone was reason enough to suggest that such a link existed. Those crimes were entirely too clean. He also links to the more recent ones where Matriarch participated. In both cases there was a lack of evidence aside from what they allowed to be found."

"Interesting," Ayres muttered to himself as he rubbed his bandana covered chin. "If I am reading this right, it looks like Renegade was definitely setting up. All of these activities were targeted at non powered criminals until the incident with the Shakers. Not that they'll be missed. I almost took that contract myself but the potential backer wouldn't meet my price to make coming into the Bay unauthorized worth it. Looking at some of the investigations Armsmaster conducted it looks like Renegade was gathering resources. Money and electronics. Sounds like tinker funding. Yeah, looks like that was Armsmaster's guess too. We know they have access to some tinker gear so having one in hiding would make sense. Safer for the tinker they have too."

Miss Militia nodded to his points. She may have disliked the man intensely, but she couldn't deny Ayres was intelligent. Maybe too intelligent, but this wasn't her call. Regardless, she kept her voice even when she replied. She had her orders. "Armsmaster has already made his thoughts on this clear. We sent what contacts we have to the Toy Box looking for tinker gear of a similar nature but were unable to find any, nor any information about any known tinker with these specialties."

"Which supports the idea of a hidden tinker in the fold. Hmm. So, going back a bit, it looks like Renegade was ordered to keep a low profile until things were ready but something happened and Renegade slipped and a villain team ends up worm food. Robbery gone bad maybe? They know something they shouldn't, or did they found out something they shouldn't have known?

"Well, either way, my guess is that Matriarch didn't like that so she decides to direct things herself and came to the Bay. I'm curious though, was there any luck finding out where they came from before? All of this is too well orchestrated to not have been in place somewhere else."

"No, though that doesn't mean much. We're pretty sure wherever they operated before was not within Protectorate territory. Which doesn't mean much. We are far from close to worldwide unification. Endbringer battles aside of course. However, most national groups similar to ours have assured us they know of no capes in their boarders, past or present, matching the profiles of Matriarch and Renegade."

"Huh. That actually makes sense with the way they operate. If they did their jobs right, there wouldn't be records. Still, it doesn't leave us a lot to work with. What strikes me as odd is what happens when Matriarch arrives. Armsmaster is sure that it was her voice that made that call?"

"Yes. It digitally matches the other calls made later. You know all PRT calls are recorded. It wasn't that difficult for him to match samples."

"Huh. Still it's contrary to the pattern they had established before. Instead of being incognito, Matriarch sends a message to the other villains by taking down Lung. Cutting the head of the ABB is no small feat. Have to give style points for the balls of her plan. More for the fact she actually succeeded. Fought Lung once before Kyushu. Not something I'd do again no matter how much money was on the line."

She kept her comments to herself. Though she did wonder if a barbed remark about what a shame it was Lung didn't finish him would have finally ruffled the man next to her. "Armsmaster reported, and Dragon agreed with the idea, that the most likely scenario is they used to be mobile villains. Never staying in one place very long before moving on. It gives credence to why no one has heard of them and why they are so good at staying under the radar. However for reasons we don't know they decided to settle in Brockton Bay. I am not going to shed any tears for the fact Lung is finally in custody and will soon be in the Birdcage, but it does support the thought that they were looking to establish a place for themselves."

Ayres nodded in agreement. "See, this is where it gets interesting though. Right after that they quickly revert to old habits. Looting small time criminals for cash and electronics. That carries on for a bit until Bay Central when they show up working with the Undersiders. Funnily enough, another villain group known for subterfuge and pulling jobs through intelligence and skill. However, the bank job wasn't subtle. They walked in, bold as brass, and took the place for their own. Even waited for the Wards to show up. From these reports, Renegade didn't even take them seriously. His costume was a biker's helmet and Clockblocker's T-shirt."

Miss Militia winced at the reminder. To say Clockblocker was not amused by that stunt was a gross understatement. He felt personally targeted and had no problems voicing his belief in the days following. The events of the week prior did nothing for reassuring the Ward though he quieted down quite a bit since. "There were also witness accounts that the joining of the two villain teams was not seamless. Several of the hostages mentioned there was a moment when the unity between the Undersiders and Matriarch fractured. Apparently over how to use the hostages. They wanted to use them to help their getaway while she disagreed. It was mentioned by more than a few that Matriarch even hinted she wasn't getting any of the 'take'."

Ayres nodded. "I remember reading that."

"According to reports," she continued "...the Undersiders backed down before Matriarch let the hostages go. One thing noted by the interviewers was that even though Matriarch used a very appalling terror tactic to coerce the crowd to do her bidding, she was very adamant about the fact they had no place in the coming fight."

"Panacea was one of the hostages wasn't she?" Ayres asked as he looked through several of the reports on the monitors.

"Yes. She was there for a withdrawal when the villains took the bank over."

"Reports sketchy about her involvement. Why was it redacted?"

"There was an…incident."

"Care to clarify that?"

"No."

"I'll talk to Piggot about getting clearance for it then. Might be useful." Ayres comment had her wince. Hopefully the Director wouldn't approve it but a lot of that had to do with just how much room she gave him to operate. They really needed to talk in the morning.

"Well then," Ayres ignored her silence as he continued. "Now things get interesting again because just over a day later Matriarch decides to make an example of Coil. Except this time not by taking out the cape in question. Instead she kills half of what the Protectorate estimates are in his gang. What was the butchers bill?"

"Thirty-four bodies were removed from the area. However, we found pieces of at least another twelve."

"Pieces?" The man next her asked slowly as if he didn't quite comprehend what she was saying.

The cape took a slight breath as she clarified stiffly. "Arms and legs mostly. One head the coroner stated did not match any of the other remains."

"Nasty," Ayres stated as he digested that bit. Not that she blamed him for it. As uncharitable as she was to the man, it was ghastly news, even if it was telling. "Okay then. So going back to the point I was trying to make a moment ago, of all your villains, Coils about as low key as you get. Mostly just tangles with Kaiser right?"

"That we know of," Miss Militia confirmed.

"So why Coil? More importantly, why was Coil in that area of the Docks anyways? Are there Empire camps in that region of the docks?"

"We don't really know. Bakuda's doesn't seem interested in expanding the ABB at the moment but there has been indications they have been holding their own against the Empires expansion tactics in that area. However, nothing has been confirmed yet."

"I see." Ayres muttered before he turned from the screens to took at her fully. "Usually I like a bit more intel with my intel, but I'll make it work. Piggot already made this available to me when I accepted the contract but I was hoping there might have been more. I'll be in contact tomorrow for my meeting with the Director and officially take over the case. It was good to see you again Hannah. Looking forward to working together again. Should be just like old times."

"I hope so." At Ayres unexpected raised eyebrow, Miss Militia actually smiled. Even if he couldn't see it. "Last time we ran a mission together you almost died. Would have if I hadn't of interfered. I'm looking forward to the chance to not repeat a past mistake."

The man before her actually laughed as he jauntily tipped his hat to her. "I'll keep that in mind. Till then Miss Militia."

_XxXExiledXxX_

Ayres stepped into the night. Behind him the building the Protectorate used in the city stood in all its professional glory. A very modern edifice of concrete and steel gleamed in the harsh artificial lights of the city around it. Exactly what the people of the city would have expected its resident hero population to work out of.

It only took him a few moments to make his way through the gates to get to the street. From there he quickly made his way across moving several blocks until he was sure Hannah didn't have anyone tailing him. Not that he thought she would have done something like that. Not yet anyways. Tomorrow now… that was a different story. She'd have time by then to set something up. He'd be a fool to think she wouldn't try to keep tabs on him considering their history.

Finally satisfied he was alone, he lowered the bandana that obscured his lower face before lighting a cigarette. Seeing Hannah again complicated things. Complicated, but not unsalvageable. He pulled his cell from one of his inner pockets turning it on as he mulled the encounter over. He would need to delegate to his team more, that was all. Good thing he expected something like this when the job fell into his lap.

A few flicks of his finger over the screen brought his messages to the front. As expected, there was one waiting for him.

**(Unknown):** Status?  
**Me:** I'm in.  
**(Unknown):** Any trouble?  
**Me:** A small complication. Shouldn't be an issue in the long run.  
**(Unknown):** See that it doesn't. If it does develop into an issue, utilize our contact in Brockton Bay to neutralize it if necessary. How soon can we expect delivery of our cargo?  
**Me:** If things go well, by the end of the week. Worst case, two weeks.  
**(Unknown):** Acceptable. Remember our agreement. The specimen must be recovered with minimal damage. We do not care about the others, but Subject Zero must be recovered intact.  
Me: We both know that might not be possible.  
**(Unknown):** As long as there is sufficient genetic material to work with our plans can be salvaged. If the worst case scenario plays out and Subject Zero dies, we can still proceed as long as his Agent is unharmed. It just means we will have to try again. The delay will be unpleasant, but acceptable compared to the alternative.  
**Me:** Understood.

Ayres watched as all the messages self deleted as they always did when he spoke to his employer. He took a long thoughtful drag on the cigarette in his hand before he placed a call. The familiar feminine voice of his teammate answered on the first ring. "What took so long, Ayres?"

He winced at her tone. "Its only been a couple of hours, Trixie."

"Bellatrix, asshole, and it's been four hours! Four hours! You left me trapped with this fucking psycho! Do you have any idea how difficult it was to smuggle our gear over commercial lines with this bastard grabbing every female ass that crossed into reach? I swear to god, Ayres, if this fucker grabs mine again while I'm working on one of our consoles I'm going to impale him with a stone dick two foot wide and see how he likes getting shafted!"

Ayres sighed. Those two never got along unless they there was someone else for them to fight. Hopefully, he would be able to solve that problem soon and things would go back to normal. "Put him on."

There was the usual garble of the phone being handed over before he heard the characteristic maniacal giggle of the man he requested to talk too. "Yeah boss?"

"If you keep harassing her, she's going to kill you."

The man on the other end giggled insanely again. "It is natural to die."

"Not when there's work to be done, and we have a lot of work to do."

"Heh. I like it. I just can't help it. Women are my thing!"

"I thought mass destruction was your thing?" Ayres couldn't help but question in his usual lazy drawl. "It's what you keep telling us anyways."

"I am a man of many talents." The man stated with all the exaggerated confidence he could summon. Which, admittedly, was a great deal more than Ayres had ever heard from another.

"Just leave Bellatrix alone, Lo Wang," Ayres ordered as he shook his head at the man's antics. He knew leaving those two alone for a prolonged period wasn't a good idea but it was an even worse idea to take either of them into the Protectorate building. Patience wasn't something either had in great store and dealing with the local heroes was going to possibly require more than even his own share. "Remember when I asked you if you could arrange a meet? Think you can still manage it?"

"Yes, though that bitch is crazier than Bellatrix is. Just not nearly as much fun."

Ayres slowly smiled as his unfocused eyes looked out into the night shrouded cityscape before him. "Perfect."

***Authors Note

Some format issues with this chapter, tried to fix it, but its not working well. Sorry guys.


	39. The Omega Shuffle 7

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.7**

"I officially take back every bad thing I ever thought about you Leet," I stated as I looked in wonder at his latest creation.

"See, someone appreciates my genius," Leet said as he turned to his friend.

Uber looked like he rolled his eyes as he turned away from the spectacle taking place in front of him. "You keep stroking your ego like that and you're going to go blind man."

I snorted at the dirty humor as I continued to watch. I have no idea how he did it but in front of me was Leet's latest contraption. It didn't look like anything more than a foot long box. It was only about half as wide and was currently sitting on the ground several feet in front of us. It was also disgorging a column of flying bugs into the air so thickly I couldn't see anything behind it.

I was in my usual spider silk costume and had been most of the day. Both villains were dressed in costumes more closely resembling Renegade's. Armored plates strapped to their bodies for added protection over nondescript clothes. Their helmets were less bulky than Renegades current motorcycle helmet and closer to what Renegade was leaning to for the new combat body armor we were developing. Sadly, there hadn't been time in the last week to finish any of it, but I had my spiders working around the clock helping make the ballistic cloth we'd need. I know Leet and Renegade were still working on the actual armor pieces and Uber was still finalizing everyone's design. When it was all said and done though, Coil was going to be in for a surprise. I read about how he had tinker tech weapons of his own. I wanted us ready for when we finally took him down. So far, things were developing pretty well to that end.

"How long can they remain inside unharmed?" I asked.

"A long time." Leet chuckled. "Once they're in, they're under complete stasis until released. Any lag in your control after they're ejected?"

"None!" I smiled. As soon as the bugs left the box they were mine and responding to my commands. This solved damn near every problem I had about keeping enough bugs on me to deal with things. "Hold capacity?"

Leet smiled at my interest. Like most tinkers I imagine he couldn't help but like it when people appreciated his creations. "Enough that I think you could harm the local ecology if you started packing the thing."

"I take back everything I ever thought about you Leet. Seriously, this is so cool."

Preening, Leet turned away to join Uber across the room. I continued to direct the bugs above me. Last time I created a bug shell like this It took me almost six hours to find all the bugs I needed and sneak them through the city to set it up. Now with the Instant Swarm Box I effectively had all the bugs I could ever need always on hand. The only bad part was they all couldn't come out at once and I had to use spiders to work the controls on it if I wanted specific ones. Still, minor issues considering what this was going to do for me.

My eyes looked upward to where I was directing the swarm before I used the spider on the ISB to cut off the flow of insects. That was more than enough to make the protective shell we'd need. Once again we were in an old factory setting things up for later. If things went well, we'd have our next recruit soon. Renegade was convinced we needed this one though I had reservations. Chatika seemed confident enough though that we could handle the situation despite them. Still, we needed this if we hoped to put Coil down.

Coil. It didn't take long to figure out who the cape was that set us down this path. The only thing we knew for sure at the moment though was the usual public stuff we could find on the internet. Which was seriously not a lot. Thanks to the firefight interest in the cape picked up but it was the same old thing over and over. This guy didn't leave a lot of info about himself lying around for us to work with and it wasn't like we could ask the local villains or heroes. If what Gamble had passed on was accurate, we were pretty much persona non grata in the city at the moment.

Turning away from my completed task I activated my omnitool. "Renegade."

"Aye?"

"We set?"

"Aye Aye. Last camera drone is installed. Chatika's organizing the V.I. matrix to keep information real time. In about ten minutes we'll own the surrounding area."

I nodded unnecessarily before turning to Uber. "Our exit strategy?"

"Solid. Drones are holding the route open for us and so far nothing bigger than a rat has shown up down there on scans. All entrances and exits are covered along the route and if we need too, it wouldn't take but a simple command to seal all the manhole covers along that route and drop the sections we need to as we get away."

"Classic." Leet chuckled. "Have to love the classical 'villain escapes through the sewer' routine. Granted its been done before, but I don't think its been done this stylishly."

I smiled beneath my mask. "Just hope we don't need it. Still, I'm not taking chances with this one."

Uber looked up from his omni tool. "You know, if we pull this off, they're going to be hella pissed."

Leet snorted. "Not as pissed as they're going to be later man."

"True, but they're not going to just let us bitch slap them and get away with it. If they're not after us now, they'll fucking come down with the ban hammer on us afterward."

Leet shrugged unconcerned. "Fuck 'em if they can't tell the cardboard box right in front of them wasn't there a moment ago."

I heard Uber chuckle as I shook my head. Over the last week I'd been inundated with all kinds of video game references. Enough of them that I was actually starting to think I understood half of them. Uber nodded to Leet's point before going back to his task. "I don't disagree. Just sayin'."

I walked away from the pair, moving to where most of the events to come will take place. As I approached my two new minions I couldn't help but wonder if involving them was really such a good idea.

I turned my eyes to the girl sitting behind the laptop we set up. She was a bit shorter than me and her hair was a lot shorter than how I kept mine. Other differences between us was she was also several years older than I was. Rorrim was a college student putting herself through local university studying psychology, of all things. Well, if nothing else, her new teammates were definitely the kind of people a shrink would love to get his hands on. I just hoped she didn't use us for her papers, though I bet she'd get kick ass grades for it.

She was the one Renegade went to Gamble to find. Her power wouldn't do any good today but it was going to be invaluable once we picked up the third of what Renegade was calling our soon to be minted 'STG' cell. So far she seemed alright. Really reluctant to be as involved as we needed her to be but that didn't surprise me any. Rorrim didn't want to be a villain nor did she ever see herself working for one but college is expensive and you can only do so much on minimum wage and grants.

Uber helped with her costume since she didn't have one of her own. She mentioned she got her powers a long time ago but was never interested in being a cape. Until now anyways. At least she seemed interested in helping Dinah and the Bay. That was what decided me the most when we meet. The way her eyes lit up when I explained what we were trying to do before Coil tried to kill us. Still, Uber did good work. Her costume was form fitting enough that it might have been a second skin and looked like quicksilver with purple stripes going down along her sides. No clue how he pulled that off but I shouldn't have been surprised. Half of Uber and Leet's old career must have been costume design, what with trying to mimic old video games during their capers.

Her face was also completely covered in a spade like mask similar to the one Gamble used. Also like his it was featureless but thanks to similar tech like Renegade used in my goggles, she could easily see through it. Currently it looked like she just finished things up with Chatika.

I nodded satisfied before turning to the other new member of my team. Like Rorrim, Imp didn't have a costume when she joined us and Uber helped her put one together. Unlike the bright-looking piece the sitting cape used, Imp's was darker. Her costume was a form fitting black body suit while her mask was a grey caricature of the classical smiling imp figure from mythology, complete with two short horns that curved backward over her head and black lenses over her eyes. Unlike Rorrim, Imp was armed. The overpowered taser baton rested uneasily against her hip.

I'd be lying if I said her age didn't bother me. Granted I probably couldn't say much and really, she was only about a year younger than me, but it still did. She was also a bit of a wild card as far as I was concerned. Unlike Rorrim, Renegade didn't hunt her out. Apparently over the last few weeks she'd been looking for us. Despite, or maybe because of, how eager she was to join up I was worried. It didn't help she was a Stranger-class cape that only Chatika could keep track of. We tested it out a few times yesterday during our meeting and whatever her power did only affected people. Everyone just simply ignored the fact she existed but that didn't stop her from showing up on camera, thankfully. That meant no matter if they forgot she was there, Chatika could keep her on task or at least keep track of her as long as she didn't disable her connection to her mask. Which I made absolutely clear to the girl that if she did, we would take it as an act of aggression and deal with her.

Nonetheless I couldn't deny her skill set would be invaluable to the intelligence team we were putting together. She wasn't combat ready, and wouldn't be for a long time, but with her power, gathering Intel against our enemies would be a lot easier. Once Renegade and Leet perfected the personal cloaking fields I knew I would breathe easier and be more confident about using her in the field. Until then I decided to just keep an eye on her and let her get used to working on the crew.

"How's things look?"

"All set here, Matriarch." The masked cape I addressed answered as she turned to look at me. "Not that I did much. Computers are not really my thing."

"I know. Renegade's network takes some getting used to but you'll get it. Thanks for helping though, we were just about out of options."

"You could just let me go do my thing." the dark cape beside me muttered.

I frowned as I turned to Imp. "I told you that it was an unacceptable risk. Even with all of us helping you there is too much risk of you getting caught. You've only been on the crew a day and you haven't been an active cape before that. The idea was good, but we're not ready for you to try something like that. Once the boys put together a few things to complement your power, we'll talk about it."

Imp sighed, giving me the impression she was feeling useless. I could understand that. Being a cape was a lot different than what I thought it would be like. "I know, but all I've done is schlep around for you, Uber, Leet, and Renegade!"

I put my hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "And that has helped more than you think. I warned you when Renegade brought you to me that we were in the middle of a shit storm with real lives on the line. No games, no bullshit. The guy we're after is bad news and he's already tried to kidnap Vates once. It was only luck Renegade and I were around to help her. I'm not willing to risk any of us until we know exactly what we're up against."

"Matriarch is right." Renegade stated as he walked into the building. The three of us turned to him seeing Vates walking close next to him, which made me smile. Uber took a shine to her almost instantly and went out of his way to make her look good. Her robe was simple and white with golden trimming along the borders. Though the design was simple, it was still an elegant look for the young cape. Her mask was a cast of an older woman's face who looked very regal with solid white for the lenses over her eyes. With the hood of her robe up you couldn't even see her hair, which pretty much was the intent.

"We're still in the development phase of our operation. You and Rorrim are new to the crew but there will be plenty of action in the future. Normandy Rule One…"

"At the end of the mission, everyone goes home." Uber, Leet, and I recited to Renegade's amusement.

"Wise asses, but still true. We can't help anyone if we're dead."

"You guys are the weirdest villains ever, you know that right?" Imp cheerfully stated next to me.

Uber snorted. "You get used to it."

"Definitely can get used to the money and the chance to really put some of our old stuff to use." Leet added as he fiddled with whatever it was he was fiddling with.

Uber nodded to his friends comment. "Can't wait to use our old go-karts again. We had way too much fun with them when we drove them through the mall last year."

"Oh man, I almost forgot about those." Leet chuckled as he looked up. "You know, it wouldn't take much to attach a kinetic barrier to them. I way over juiced their power output when we built them. Or hey, a couple of Falcons! That would rock!"

"Holy shit, with Cryo!"

I turned away from the insane duo, looking back to Renegade. "You know, its a wonder the city survived as long as it did with them running around."

I heard Vates titter next to Renegade while he chuckled. "They never really needed an excuse to cause mayhem. They just lacked focus and a reason to direct it at someone. We should just be thankful they're on our side now."

"True enough." I chuckled as I smiled fondly at the pair. Both were deep into plans that were getting more and more ridiculous about what they could do with their go-karts. I turned back to Renegade. "We're set."

He nodded. "Alright. Rorrim, Imp, take Vates to the safe house. You remember what to do right?"

Rorrim nodded while Imp shrugged before replying. "Yeah, Rorrim's in charge and we bail if Chatika tells us too. Follow her directions to the next safe house and so on and so forth. Keep the kid safe and keep running until you're done kicking ass."

I nodded as it was essentially right. "If everything goes well you shouldn't have much to do and we shouldn't be long."

"Tomorrow we'll start working on your training, Imp. You still opting out Rorrim?"

The silver clad cape nodded as she got to her feet. "Yeah. My powers really limited and I really don't want to be a front liner. Sorry."

I shook my head. "Don't be, and your powers just fine within your specialty. We'll do what we can to keep you out of the fight but we need Uber and Leet here with us tonight. Thanks for taking care of Vates. You too Imp. Especially that thing earlier. I know that couldn't have been easy, considering."

Imp nodded easily. "No problem as long as you remember our deal on that."

"I will."

Imp nodded again apparently satisfied. "Come on Squirt. You promised me a rematch."

The smaller cape looked up to Renegade who nodded back to her before she looked to me. I nodded as well. I wasn't a fan of splitting us up like this but this was the last place I wanted her to be if the worst was to happen. The young girl bounced forward taking the dark clad cape by the hand clearly excited to play more of the games Uber downloaded into our network. "Okay!"

Standing together we watched as they left the building. Uber and Leet oblivious as they continued trying to one up each other in additions to their newest idea. I took a deep breath before activating my omni tool making for the metal stairs that would take me upward. Renegade stayed below.

It didn't take but a few moments before I passed through the bug shell I created earlier. The portal opening without much thought on my part revealing the woman tied to the chair at its center. I took a quick picture of her snarling face before sending it, and the attached message, on.

When I went to turn away my captive spoke. "Where's my dog?"

"Safe." I replied before turning around. "Sedated in a different location. If your teammates play ball with us, I'll tell you where when we release you."

"If he's hurt in any way, I'll fucking kill you."

I nodded at the threat, believing it. "He's not. Despite our current circumstances, Bitch, I don't have anything against you or your dogs. Nor am I the kind of person who would hurt a dog just for the sake of doing it. You should know that from when I took you out last week. I could have just as easily done that to your dogs instead. He should be just fine. We even left plenty of water and an open bag of dog food for him in case this takes longer than we expected and he wakes up. Where he is no one will bother him."

"If you're lying to me…"

"You will hunt me down and kill me, yeah, I got that. I'm sorry it's come to this, but you Undersiders made your bed when you helped Coil try to kidnap a little girl. All I need is for Tattletale to do one thing for me and you will be free to go with the information of where we stashed your dog."

"They won't help me. Not if it means going against their boss."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise at her statement. "We'll see if she replies, won't we?"

Without another word I turned away, making my way back to Renegade. I found him pretty much where I left him except now he was looking at the screen on his omni tool.

"Sent."

"Then it looks like we wait."

"Still can't believe Uber managed to capture Bitch like that."

Renegade chuckled. "I would have liked it if he told us he was going to do it, but I have to admit he pulled it off pretty well. I told you they'd be good assets to the team."

I nodded wearily. I had the same problem with his stunt, but I couldn't deny it solved one of the biggest roadblocks to us acquiring our next recruit. "You still think this is going to work?"

"Hopefully. Odds are good the Undersiders will show up at least. Whether they show up with what's left of Coils army, I don't know. That's why we prepped everything like we did."

I wrapped my arms around myself as I thought about he said. "I don't like this."

"Yeah, I've never been fond of plans where I end up staked out as bait either but you said it yourself, if anyone can get us the information we need, it's Tattletale. It's almost a given by what we know of her that she has the access codes we need. Vates seemed confident enough that Tattletale could get them even if she doesn't already have them."

I nodded to his points and I'd be a fool not to trust in Vates's powers. Over the last week we figured out the 'void' she mentioned seemed to be mostly centered around Renegade and the hideout. Which pretty much told us that somehow biotic energy was the actual cause. The fact Vates's powers would work seemingly at random in the base partly confirmed it. That allowed her to make use of her power to help out if she felt up to it. Not that we asked her too, but she had as much riding, if not more, on this as then we did.

I was broken from my thoughts when I heard Renegade mumble to himself. "Here we go…"

"And?"

"She's talking to Grue now."

I breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how much we hoped it would work out this way, there was still the off chance her first call would have been Coil. I turned to Uber and Leet who were _still_ talking about their damn go-karts. "Hey! Get your game faces on, boys. We're live."

_XxXExiledXxX_

In the end it took them just over an hour from the point they received the message to get here. To say they were unhappy about the current circumstances though would have been a massive understatement.

I sat in my chair and watched them walk through the door. Grue was first with his power rolling around him making him look fairly intimidating. It wasn't too different from what I'd seen Renegade do with his power and that made me wonder just how closely tied to his emotions Grues power was. I know Renegade mentioned he hardly noticed when he did that but he knew it happened a lot when he was very angry or upset.

Regent was next. For once the cape looked completely serious. Maybe even pissed, though I couldn't say I blamed him for it. I was holding his teammate hostage after all.

Lastly, in walked Tattletale. Instead of her usual grin she was frowning as she looked around. I had no idea what her power was telling her but I felt pretty certain the fact we had seven turrets and four drones floating strategically around the area did not go unnoticed. We set this thing up expecting them to contact Coil and have to fight entrenched until we could get away. Kinda overkill for just the Undersiders.

Of course all three noticed the huge fucking bubble of bugs swirling above us.

Like the last time I talked to Tattletale I pulled my pistol from my hip and placed it on the table in front of me. All of us knew it was purely symbolic but I wanted to set the right tone. We were enemies at the moment but there wasn't any reason we couldn't be civilized about this thing.

I broke the tense silence first. "Undersiders."

"Matriarch." Grue half grunted through his clenched teeth. Yeah, this guy really didn't like me. "Where's Bitch?"

Without making any obvious gesture I opened a portal into the bug shell above us. There on the catwalk where I left her was their teammate flanked by both Uber and Leet who were holding rifles pointing at her. I let them get a good look before I closed the shell back up still not saying a word.

Still frowning Tattletale stepped forward along side Grue. "Okay, we did what you wanted. We're here and we didn't tell Coil… but you knew that already. How… Really? You hacked into our phones? How the fuck did you manage that? We use burners. Unless..."

"We had help, but you would have figured that out shortly. Our operative knew where your hideout was and bugged the phones in exchange for one concession from us; to not hurt any of you. Which we will honor. Unless you stupidly decide to attack us, in which case all bets are off." I answered the unasked question.

"Who?" Grue demanded.

I shook my head. "Not on the table. Bitch is the subject of this discussion. We have her and assume by the fact you are here, you want her back. Something we're willing to do. We just need one thing from Tattletale."

"I can't give you anything on Coil. He'll kill us and this whole thing will be pointless." The masked girl stated.

"I don't want information on Coil. I want the passwords to remotely access the Protectorate databases."

I don't think I could have surprised them more if I started singing, and anyone who ever heard my attempts at it, would have known that would have been cringe worthy enough to stun just about anyone. I couldn't carry a tune if it was handed to me in a custom made carrying case.

It took a moment for the three capes in front of me to gather themselves together before Grue spoke. "The data feed passwords? You know they change them every day, don't you? Besides that you can't even access the really good stuff remotely anyways! You kidnapped my teammate for a few hours access to low encryption shit?"

Renegade turned the laptop in front of him around so Tattletale could use it. On the screen was the login page they needed. "You don't have room to judge, Grue. At least our captive wasn't a defenseless child."

The darkness cape flinched at the reminder of the last time we crossed paths. I kept my attention on Tattletale. "Whenever you're ready."

"And if I say no?"

"Then we keep Bitch for the foreseeable future. Though I am pretty confident you won't. I'm not asking for anything special and let's be honest, you need Bitch more than we need the access. She's how you get around and she's your heavy. No Bitch and the Undersiders go back to being very, very, small time. I wonder just how useful you'd be to Coil then?"

Tattletale sighed as she walked to the laptop in front of Renegade. "I still say you're making a mistake, Matriarch. I may not agree with some of his tactics, but I generally agree with his goals. You would too if you gave him a chance."

"Not at the cost of a kid's life. I don't care if he has the cure for cancer at his place, nothing is worth enslaving a child to a madman." I stated firmly.

"You won't be able to beat him, you know." Tattletale said as she began typing away.

"You could be right." I gave as I watched her other two teammates. "But I don't need to beat him. I just need to stop him."

"Done." Tattletale stated. Renegade turned the laptop around before he started typing at it. Tattletale turned to me as she took several steps away to rejoin her team. "I'm not going to say I don't agree with you on the principle that what this is isn't fucked up. It is, but you have to understand that in the larger scheme of things, this is minor compared to what he's trying to do. I don't know why he wants her so badly but I do know he never does anything without a good reason."

"Maybe." I said before turning to Renegade. "And?"

"I was right, the information we needed was definitely in the inaccessible section but they still had to make certain arrangements. Based on predictable logistics, I was able to get what we needed."

I nodded, relieved, as I turned back to the Undersiders. My bugs above us reconfigured into tendrils of flying insects moving about the room finding space along the various surfaces and machinery leaving the path open. Knowing that their part was done, Uber and Leet moved away from Bitch compacting their rifles to their backs as they made their way downstairs to us.

"As agreed, Bitch is free. This," I stated as I handed Tattletale a slip of paper that was sitting on the table. "Is where we left Bitches dog. We didn't know what her range was so we thought it best to keep them separated."

Just as Tattletale took the slip of paper from me omni tool activated. "Perimeter Breach!"

"Coil?" I asked Chatika even as I watched the Undersiders reactions. Thanks to my bugs I sensed Uber and Leet pull their weapons back out as Renegade unpacked his.

"Negative. Enemy combatants do not match those of Coil's forces. ETA: two minutes."

I frowned. Who the fuck was coming if it wasn't Coil? "Show me." I demanded as I turned to my omnitool. Before the picture could even form, the room shook from a titanic explosion that threw me to the ground hard enough to make me wonder who was trying to kill me now.


	40. The Omega Shuffle 8

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.**8

The factory floor was filled with smoke and dust. Not far from me something burned. For some reason it was like the volume was turned down. Nothing made sense. I could hear things, someone coughing mixed in with fragmented words but for some reason I couldn't process any of it.

I found myself sprawled on the ground and it took me a moment to understand something was wrong. As I lifted my head to look around everything started to come unraveled. Anything I focused on hung semi transparent in front of me while also streaking away as I turned my head. So weird. As I tried to assess what happened I couldn't help but feel like I was missing moments. Like every other second didn't exist as I watched other people around me climbing to their feet. It made everything look jerky, kinda like a movie that had every third frame missing.

Getting to my feet required the help of the machinery next to me to keep me steady. Shouldn't I hurt worse than I did? Wasn't that a bad sign? I couldn't remember but something in me said it was. I mean, people just didn't get blown up without something being wrong with them, did they? I did get blown up right?

As I leaned against the old machine I tried to process what was going on. Slowly things started coming back. I was dealing with someone. It was important, I remembered that. They weren't allies though. Then we were attacked, there was an explosion. I looked around trying to remember who was a friend and who wasn't. It was hard to tell because everyone around me seemed to be just as affected as I was.

A weird voice sounded in my ear but it wasn't coming from anyone around me. At least, I didn't think so since none of them were looking right at me. "Matriarch!"

I tried to shake the ringing in my head to clear it. "Y-yeah?"

"Enemy combatants are closing in on your location. First wave will have breached the building in less than thirty seconds. Mako Squad has already been informed and has evacuated the safe house and began evasion procedures."

And just like that everything snapped back into place. Mako Squad. That was the protection detail for Vates. I grabbed fiercely at my connection to my bugs. I lost a good chunk of them in that explosion but I still had tens of thousands to work with. Weirdly my connection seemed stronger than ever and I seemed to be able to reach further than before. I suddenly felt as if I was connected to every part of the area where they crawled. It steadied me as I took stock of our situation. "How many drones are still intact? Can you buy us a few moments to get organized?"

The computers reply was prompt as if it had anticipated my question. Well, that or the new hardware Leet and Renegade installed was better than the old one. "Three turrets and two drones are still online and action ready."

"Good. Someone came looking for a fight and I don't see why we shouldn't give them one. Light 'em up," I ordered grimly as I unsteadily made my way over to Renegade.

"Acknowledged. Echo program initiated," Chatika replied. I pushed away the thought she sounded a bit too...eager for what Renegade told me a V.I. should be programed for.

I was already marshaling my forces as I activated the Instant Swarm Box. This was the first time I used my bugs on such a wide scale but I found it was surprisingly easy. I sensed at least twenty people close by with three making a dash for this building on the north side while another group of four got ready to hit us from the east. Neither group made it halfway before the defenses started cutting them down.

Overhead I heard the turrets open up in their almost whisper like cadence. The one in the lead stumbled to the ground clutching his leg while the one next to him spun around clutching his shoulder. The third one opened fire with a pistol but the turrets kinetic barrier easily deflected the bullets before it disgorged a rocket in retaliation. It impacted between him and the building but close enough to pick him off the ground and send him flying.

The ones on the east made their play not knowing what happened to their fellows. The first one to round the corner took a burst from the turret and dropped screaming to the street. Seeing what awaited them in the open the others turned back to get behind the corner of the building they just came from. Our turret stitched rounds into the sidewalk and the side of the building as it tracked them.

The other groups took what cover they could find. So did many others who were not even close enough to be targeted. On my own I could hear some shouting but through my swarm I knew most of it was people trying to figure out what was going on and where. Whatever this was wasn't organized and most of the incoming combatants didn't even seem to be all that willing to enter the engagement zone. I didn't have that problem as I attacked them where they hid.

Clouds of insects sailed through the broken windows. Dragonflies were carrying spiders, some of the larger beetles worked in tandem to carry millipedes and centipedes. Clouds of angry bees and wasps carried some of the nastier ants I had accumulated. Filler bugs like flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and so much more blanketed the block in an angry insect fog cutting down their visibility while giving me an almost omniscient view of the area. Turrets opened fire placing low powered mass accelerated rounds into arms and legs while I attacked anything with a pulse that wasn't in this building. Instantly the night was sundered with panicking screams of terrified and injured people.

I sensed it all in the back of my mind. I knew everything that was happening around us as I directed my swarm like an orchestra conductor. Between my bugs trying to crawl into any orifices or wounds they could get into, biting and stinging the whole way, and the drones shooting little arcs of electricity or mass accelerated rounds the attack lost most of its momentum. Not to mention we were no longer the only ones hurting.

Thought it all Chatika ran a monologue of what was going on and where. That coupled with what my swarm sense was telling me gave us a solid tactical advantage that we needed more than ever if we wanted to get out of this in one piece. It also finally allowed me to understand who decided to hit us tonight. The only question I still had was why? Or rather, how? _How_ did they know we'd be here tonight?

By the time I made it to Renegade, the attack had faltered as they dealt with my counter. Renegade was kneeling over Uber who looked like he took a bad tumble from the stairs. A quick glance showed Leet on the second floor taking aim with one of his ray guns sending steady slow shots outside. Whatever it was he was using made the cover our enemy was using go away. That allowed the mobile drones to float in and electrocute anyone the turrets missed. It looked like the same pistol from the trade. I didn't envy our enemies if it actually did what they said it did.

"Leet, cut Bitch loose and get down here!"

The cape turned me nodding before he headed up to where we left the captured Undersider. Renegade seemed to have Uber well in hand and he didn't look more than just dazed so I turned my attention to the other three in the room as they moved to positions along the wall to add their own fire support.

"You guys alright?" I asked the Undersiders as I looked around for where my pistol ended up.

Several more explosions sounded outside. They were close but didn't do more than rattle the building we were in. Seems though first wave knew where we were their leader did not. Grue looked at me from where he and Tattletale were helping Regent steady himself. Like Uber, it looked like Regent landed badly when the explosion knocked us all on our assess. "What the hell is going on?"

"Bakuda." I replied.

Before he could respond, Leet came rushing back down the stairs with Bitch just behind him. She looked like she weathered the blast better than all of us with only a nasty gash on her forehead from when her chair fell over. Bitch made her way to her teammates while Leet found a spot at the outer wall.

"Tattletale, how fuck did she know we'd be here? You said no one followed us."

I turned sharply at Grue's question to see Tattletale looking right at me shaking her head. "She's not here for us, Grue."

"Unbelievable." I half muttered to myself. My mind whirled with off hand comments I vaguely recalled from Renegade and half forgotten questions that once dominated my thinking a month ago. Now suddenly answered as all four Undersiders looked at me. "_You're_ the kids Lung was trying to kill that night. He wasn't going after defenseless kids, he was going after _you_."

In all the confusion of discovering Sebastian was a cape, kind of, and nearly getting killed I completely forgot about the reason why I took on Lung in the first place that night. I guess I should have known that not all of the foot soldiers he used would have been captured. It wouldn't have been any big thing for Bakuda to discover it was a bug controlling cape that was responsible for her boss's capture and from there, it was even easier to put a name to her. Especially in the following weeks as Renegade and I started to get more active. I never really gave it much thought until just this moment. When I realized that this attack was being run by Bakuda, I instantly knew why. Retaliation. Made sense but until Grue's comment I never even thought about who Lung might have been after originally or that this might not have been about us.

"Yeah. Never did get a chance to thank you for that." Tattletale said with a slight smile. "I was going to mention it that night, but, well, you know."

_Right_. I thought. This wasn't awkward...

The building shook again. This time the explosions were closer. The irony of this situation wasn't lost on me as I shook my head discarding this conversation for now. There was too many other things going on to think about. "Chatika; open the hatch."

Not far from us a metal door swung upward from the floor. I turned my attention back to the Undersiders. "Leet, make them a drone to guide them to parking garage exit. Undersiders, get out of here!"

"Just like that!?" Grue half shouted. I rolled my eyes. Villains, I decided, were entirely too paranoid about the motives of others. As I stared at Grue though I couldn't help but grudgingly think it was half ass justified at the moment. I did kinda still owe him for shooting me and trying to kidnap Dinah.

The noise from my swarm mixed with weapons fire from both sides was getting louder. It must have been a lucky shot by the ABB leader that got us earlier. If she didn't know where we were before, she knew now and it looked like she was finally getting her people organized. It wouldn't be long before she either bombed us outright, or had them storm the place. So far it looked like she was trying to drop the building on the outer edge of the block to sort of hem us in this area.

Leet's little white drone floated into the hole and descended as I turned my attention from my swarm to the Undersiders. "I made a deal to keep you guys safe tonight. Granted it was meant to keep you safe from us but I'm not about to quibble over semantics. You have a way out of here, get your team and get the hell out! Unless you want to help us take on half the bay's 'Bad Boys?"

I turned away from the stunned capes back to Renegade. He was already moving to the huge hole in the wall Bakuda made a few moments ago.

"Crazy bitch is throwing her people at us like lemmings over a cliff!" Uber half shouted as he fired through the window at my right. "I know they're generally considered psycho crazy, but most of these guy don't look like your normal gang bangers! This is freaking nuts!"

I finally found my pistol as I moved to a spot where I could actually see what was going on. Uber was right. I didn't notice with my swarm sense but a lot of our attackers didn't look like normal gang members. They looked like normal people. Hell, most of them weren't even armed with anything more than a big stick.

Either the ABB was a lot bigger than I thought, or something else was going on. At the moment I really didn't care since it seemed like they were intent on killing us.

"Got a lot of bad guys out there, Renegade." I reported. "We should go."

"Agreed, but we're not going to get far at the rate their pressing. They already took out the drones and one of the turrets. They'll rush our position the second we're not here to defend it. If they pressed hard enough even if we supplemented with fresh automatic defenses we wouldn't get far. I'm going to set up a diversion in that building across from us. Try to draw a sizable chunk of their numbers in there. Should by us enough time to make it the first choke point."

I had to raise my voice for him to hear me since the battle was getting louder as they got closer. Several bullets entered sparking off the machinery overhead. Uber, Leet, and Renegade all through their personal turrets outside before sending fresh drones to supplement them and to keep the pressure off. "Fine, but we're going together or not at all so no heroics!"

Renegade laughed. "Copy that!"

As I watched, Renegade gestured. The ground shook as whatever he did cascaded away from us. In my swarm net I was momentarily blinded in the path his power traveled as my bugs died. I quickly adjusted by removing my bugs from the stretch I knew it would travel back flowing them behind to continue my assault on anything it missed while also keeping track of the few bodies it tossed around incase they got back up after they landed.

Using the momentary lull in incoming weapons fire, Renegade bolted outward. I turned to the others. "Covering fire!"

Both villains nodded. Their rifles and my pistol opened up and very quickly barrels turned cherry red. By this point the thugs opposing us had earned a healthy respect for what our weapons could do and stayed well down as we shot up the tops of their cover. It allowed Renegade to easily make it across the street to engage the forces that were trying to set up a crossfire there.

As I leaned against the wall assessing the situation, I vented the heat from my sidearm. In a way it was nice to never have to worry about ammunition, especially since we couldn't just go to the local pawn shop and get some. Not to mention the absolute nightmare it would have been to have to procure large quantities of supplies if we had to make our own. Not that we didn't already have issues with that kind of thing in other areas.

However this standing here for a minute defenseless was seriously not something I was a fan of. Well, not defenseless in my case but the other two capes on the team didn't have my advantages in this situation. If it bothered me, I could only guess how they felt about it. "When do you think you guys will be able to work on Renegades Thermal Clip upgrade?"

Uber looked to me for a moment as he also vented the heat from his weapon. "As soon as we figure out how to stop breaking our shit when we use it!"

Despite the seriousness of our situation I couldn't help but tease him. He'd done it enough to me in the past week. "Thought you would have been used to that by now, Uber. Didn't Leets old stuff used to do that on a regular basis?"

"Why do you think I'm so happy to be working with Renegade and you?" The cape jovially shot back. "Do you have any idea how nice it is to know things _can_ work without a risk of killing you?"

"Fuck!" I turned away to check behind me to Leet. I thought for a second he was hit but Chatika didn't report it like she was supposed to so I wasn't immediately concerned. The vent's of his rifle glowed way too bright and sparks flickered all over the thing. He tossed the overloaded weapon outside where it exploded with enough force for me to feel shrapnel bounce off the wall I was using for cover.

"You alright Leet?"

Leet knelt next to his cover gesturing wildly before he finally managed to get his glove off. "Damn thing almost burned my hand off!"

"Don't do that. Mr. Doctor doesn't do replacements remember?" Uber teased as he resumed firing outside.

"Fuck you dude!"

I couldn't help it. I laughed. Leet flipped us both off before upholstering his tinker pistol again. A month ago if anyone would have told me I'd be in the middle of a firefight with Uber and Leet beside me, I'd have laughed in their face before checking them into the nearest mental ward. Who would have thought my life would have turned out like this?

Still chuckling to myself at how things were, I looked outward, took aim, and fired. I hit my target precisely where I intended as I watched the guy fall to the ground clutching his leg. Two others braved the swirling bugs to grab him and pull him away. I let them since if they were dragging people they weren't attacking us. It suited me just fine. My bugs kept the pressure on everyone else. A lot of the really nasty bugs I still kept in reserve on me but the others were doing damage in their own way. Either by biting and stinging or just feeding the primal fear most people had in regards to insects. I didn't get it, but I could see how other people reacted to my bugs so I used it. Both worked just fine for us as we waited for Renegade to come back.

I kept losing track of him. With his power and the way he fought it was almost impossible to keep a bug on him alive for more than a few moments. I had the same problem when we were up against Coil's people. I dealt with it the same way as I did last time. By keeping the area around him flooded in insects and looking for the 'blind' spots in my web and re-tagging him as I could.

As I aimed at another foolhardy soul looking to breach our defenses I noted his distraction was working. I sensed a good chunk of the opposition storm the building he was making a ruckus in. I figured he shouldn't be long now but I was already starting to feel edgy with the stalling tactic we were using. I didn't know a lot about Bakuda, but I don't think she was the patient kind of villain and I wanted to be long gone before she decided to just bomb us to hell and back.

I turned instinctively when I sensed four people making their way behind us. Unlike most of the cannon fodder we were dealing with, these had real guns. We didn't have a turret on that side but one of them suddenly jerked. His fall tripped up two others and the three of them fell into a pile while the fourth took a bullet to the shoulder. It was a gunshot, not a mass accelerated gunshot nor the cannon blast of Leet's pistol that got my attention. What really captured my interest was the fact it came from inside our building. That was when I noticed the Undersiders hadn't left yet.

"What the are you guys still doing here!?"

Tattletale lowered her pistol turning to me smilingly smugly. "Thought you could use the help."

Now that I was concentrating on it I could sense Grue's power all over that area. I didn't think anything of it at first but it made sense why we hadn't had problems on that side before. Regent gestured outward and one the thugs who managed to get his feet fell back over. Bitch stood close by them with three foot long broken piece of rebar looking eager for anything to walk out of Grue's power.

For a moment I was stunned stupid and blinked. I didn't have many bugs inside the factory that weren't in my pack or on my costume. I didn't even think about the Undersiders after I gave them an out. Seriously, why would they have stayed? Tattletale must have noticed my reaction somehow because she started laughing at me.

Before I could rally my scattered thoughts three of aggressors in the street bolted straight for us, and they were _fast_. They split up going in opposite directions as they got close. Regent dropped one before he made his second step. Another went for Tattletale while the last ran for cover behind the machinery to our left.

The one who ran from Tattletale hurdled the broken wall. He didn't even manage to land before Bitch clubbed him across the chest like a baseball player going for a home run. I heard the sickening crack of metal breaking ribs before he hit the ground and didn't move.

The one making for the machinery didn't get far before Regent did something to make him fall again. The guy ended up losing his feet and careening into the cover he was trying to get behind. I winced as he plowed headfirst into it. He didn't move either.

The attack spurred me to advance on them pointing to the escape hatch that was still open. "Okay, you got your licks in now go! This isn't your fight!"

I pulled in some of my bugs to check the inside of the building to make sure I didn't screw up and miss anyone else in here. I just about reached the Undersiders before I spun around pointing my pistol at someone who just appeared out of nowhere. He stood in the middle of the room in a black bodysuit with belts and bandoliers of knives on it. His mask, a demonic face and leering, fanged, ear-to-ear grin.

Oni Lee.

The Azn Bad Boy lieutenant slowly raised his hand. In it I could clearly see what looked like some sort of homemade grenade. A short, thin piece of metal fell to the ground from a casual flick of the capes thumb that spoke of an ease and familiarity of having done it many, many times before.

Realization of what was about to happen hit me like freight train and I knew there was nothing I could do to stop it.

"Oh hell…"

I pulled the trigger and shot him in the face. His masked head jerked spraying a grey mist of ash behind him. I wasn't going out that easily.

"Get down!" I screamed as I dove to my right.

The grenade exploded before I hit the floor altering my dive and sending me hard against the wall not far from where the Undersiders ended up. I shook of the blast as best as I could while trying to get to my feet. The bits and pieces of Oni Lee's body were already floating around as nothing more than ash.

He appeared near Uber next. Unprepared for the vicious attack, Uber took several punches and kicks before his assailant's body exploded into another cloud of ash. I fell to the floor myself when the villain appeared behind me and kicked me in the small of my back. His body already disintegrating before I could roll over or regain my feet. Leet wasn't doing much better than the rest of us when Oni Lee came after him. The quick round ended with Leet tossed into the wall the way an errant child would throw a toy he was displeased with.

I flooded the room with bugs. It helped instantly as I sensed the fanged cape appear on the second floor above Uber. Before he could pull one of his bombs I shot him. The body didn't even finish exploding before I turned and shot another clone rendering it to ash. I repeated this several times. It bought precious moments for the others to get back to their feet. In the sudden stalemate I noticed the others helping where they could but even Tattletales shots were always just a bit too slow compared to mine.

Suddenly Oni Lee appeared on the ground floor directly between me and Uber. When I hesitated to shoot since there was a good possibility the round would go through him, he charged Leet. I pulled the trigger just as he put his hands on one of his grenades. His body erupted into ash from the combined fire from both Tattletale and I.

He reappeared, this time between me and Leet but going for Uber. Again I hesitated for a second until his run carried him just a step far enough that I could shoot. Again the cape vanished in a cloud of ash. When he reappeared a third time I figured out what he was doing.

Each time he now appeared he put himself between me and someone else. Each of my pauses allowed him to slowly pull one of his grenades from his bandoleer. I knew it was only a matter of seconds before he managed to get the pin free and one of us would more than likely get seriously hurt when the thing went off. Just as I rendered another clone to ash I heard the sound I'd been dreading since I figured out Oni Lee's plan. My pistol overheated.

Hearing the baleful alarm chime, Oni Lee appeared again, this time rushing for the Undersiders. The click of Tattletales empty pistol sounded frantically to no avail. The grenade in his hand was already armed as he sprinted to his targets. Not having any other option I put myself in his path activating my tech armor as well as the newest addition to my omni tool.

A massive teal shield appeared on my right arm as I brought it in front of me. Uber called this tactic 'tanking'. The layering of protections, one over the other, in the hopes of being so tough that a person could just shrug off any attack. I didn't know if this was going to work but I did know there was no way any of the Undersiders could take the hit. Despite my dislike for what they tried to do, I'd given my word to Imp to not let them come to harm as long as they didn't try anything against us or tried to kidnap Vates again. She seemed confident enough at the time she could keep them out of things that it seemed worth the promise. As I watched Oni Lee bear down on me I knew at this point all I could do was trust in Renegades tech to get me through this.

When his body hit my shield and exploded, it quickly became apparent it wasn't going to be enough.

_XxXExiledXxX_

The shock wave from the explosion caused him to lose his balance, though not as much as the next words that sounded in his ear.

"Matriarch, Leet, Uber: down."

Weapons fire impacted all around him as his momentary lapse allowed his opponents to get the drop on him. His barrier flared bright before failing just as he managed to get behind the cover offered by the door frame he intended to pass through.

He refreshed his barrier as he gave a quick look into the room he was about to assault. The window on the far side faced the building he left them in and would give him the quickest way back. "Open a channel to them, Chatika!"

A feeling he only had a few times started to gnaw at him as he killed three in the room with his pistol.

"Unable to process request..."

"I don't care if you have to override their omni tools, get me a channel to them NOW!" He roared as he gave up subtly and rushed the remaining defenders. His team needed him and he didn't have time for these idiots anymore.

His sprint carried him into the closest one. He didn't even slow down as he reared back swinging his arm. The biotically fueled backhand send the elderly man flying through the window. Renegade tuned out the man as he screamed his plight uselessly into the uncaring night. At the same time someone jumped on his back. He didn't even think about it before reaching back bending just enough to drop the figure to his feet hard enough to indent the floor. A hard, power assisted stomp crushed the young woman's head into a ruined mass while he shot the last one giving him control of the room.

"Biometric scans; flatlined. No data available…"

Those words hit him hard enough he stumbled. "No…"

Suddenly the room exploded sending him flying. He impacted the wall hard enough he tore through it putting him back in the hallway he just came from. He shook his head hoping it would settle his vision when he noticed the man walking calmly toward him.

At first, he thought that it was Kai Leng, but that wasn't possible. He killed the Cerberus Lieutenant over a year ago. Not to mention the place he did it was half a galaxy away in another dimension! He remembered it clearly when he sank his omni blade into the mans chest. He could still remember watching the light leave the hated mans eyes through his visor as his blade burned out his cybernetic heart. He shook his head again before he noticed the tag Chatika labeled him with on his H.U.D.

"Renegade."

Oni Lee. The villain continued walking casually thought the hallway but didn't make a move as Renegade regained his feet.

"It was an honor to kill your woman. She fought very well. Anticipating my movements almost as I made them. A very exciting challenge. I watched as you killed Coils men last week. Studying your fighting style. I have looked forward to this challenge for some time. It will be an honor to kill you."

White fury tore through him as he watched the man approach. "I'm not dead yet."

"Yes." Oni Lee stated in that strange flat tone of his. Abruptly his entire demeanor changed as he pulled two daggers and charged.

Shockingly Oni Lee's body exploded into ash when Renegade shot him. He read his extranet bio and knew that it happened but it still took him by surprise. The hairs on the back of his neck raised as he felt the bite of the capes blade when it slashed him across his back.

He spun quickly only to get a face full of ash. He kicked with his foot behind him earning a satisfying grunt before that body too disintegrated.

The assault continued back and forth for several moments in just that fashion. Renegade was bloodied several times by the teleporting assassin for little more gain than a mouth full of ash. Even as his biotic's raged through him reducing the building they fought in to little more than ruins he failed to get a clear hit.

It was beyond frustrating. Never before had he fought something like this. Not even the Reaper's Banshees could trans-locate so seamlessly, much less leave behind such convincing decoys. As the fight progressed he abandoned the more subtle uses of his abilities instead opting for those that caused the most damage to the area around him. In response to his change in tactics the teleporting cape started using explosives. Dark Energy and shrapnel flew everywhere with hurricane force as he fought his opponent and the strain of over using his abilities.

The floor shifting under his feet told him the building they fought in wouldn't be able to take much more of this but he didn't stop. Nor did Oni Lee seemed concerned as he once again exploded not far from where his shotgun cut him down.

"You are everything I hoped you would be." A voice stated as he spun around ending the clone he found there.

"Fast. Adaptive. Powerful." Oni Lee continued as if he wasn't interrupted.

"And you're just as annoying as you bio said you would be." Renegade returned as he directed a biotic field to crush the clone, sending ash flying in all directions.

After he ashed the next one he ducked behind one of the broken walls beside him where he activated his omni tool. Not wasting a second he bolted around the wall again putting his back to it. He only just stopped moving when Oni Lee again appeared, and stabbed.

The second the blade slammed into the holographic decoy Oni Lee jerked back from the electrical discharge. Enhanced by his power, Renegade struck the wall grabbing before pulling the cape through the hole he just made. As he hoped, the tactic stunned his opponent just long enough to finally but his hands on him.

Suddenly they appeared somewhere else but he managed to keep his hold on to the struggling assassin. He ignored the bite of the knife as it pierced deep into his side. He took several blows from elbows and knees as they disappeared and reappeared in different places. Through it all, Renegades biotic's surged through his muscles keeping him strong enough to endure it. After only moments after his maneuver, but which felt like so much longer to the biotic, he finally got his hands around his opponent's throat.

Oni Lee gurgled as his hands struggled vainly to break his grip. Renegade snarled, his face only inches from the dying man in his grasp. "Do, you, still, feel, honored, Oni Lee!?"

With a final inarticulate yell, complete with a surge of his power, he shattered his targets bones as well as the pavement they laid on. The depression he suddenly found himself in, extended over four feet in all directions.

Renegade looked around wildly. He wasn't in the building any more but kneeling on some street. Worse, he couldn't hear any gunfire anywhere. "Chatika, where the hell am I?"

"Checking…"

Renegade breathed harshly while he waited. Each second stretching agonizingly slow. He ignored the signals his body sent him as it reported how poorly he fared in that last encounter. Instead keeping his mind completely focused on getting back to his squad. He wasn't going to believe they were gone until he saw their bodies himself. They weren't dead. He wouldn't allow it. Not this time.

"Commander, you are currently point eight klicks north west from your last position."

Renegade stood turning to face that direction. Already the dead body at his feet forgotten as he started running. Asphalt splintered and cracked with each footfall as dark energy coursed through his veins. He took the most direct route that would get him where he needed to be. Uncaringly tearing through whatever stood between him and his people.


	41. The Omega Shuffle 9

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.9**

Pain.

That was the only thought that I could understand as I fought to stay conscious. Or, I should say, as I fought to return to consciousness. My body hurt more than I ever thought the human brain could understand. It was all consuming allowing very little else to intrude on my thinking. My joints throbbed as though every single one of them had been torn out of its individual socket and people were banging the still-alive ends of them against the pavement in a grim rhythm.

"Pathe… ally. ...no idea… ever… beat Lung."

I came to the gradual realization I could open my eyes. Three wavy cracks in reality hovered in front of me before I realized I must have been seeing triple. I blinked trying to make my eyes work before I realized one of them didn't. The pain intensified more, forcing me to close them again but even the pink light that passed my eyelid hurt.

"...siders. After last week I… lesson. Yet… I am with …oupes."

I suppressed a groan as I forced my brain to focus beyond what it currently was. _Have to focus. Have to fight it. _My team needed me. _Embrace the pain. Keeps you awake._

I realized I was sprawled on the ground again. Not surprising. Nor was the fact everything was out of focus. I laid there trying to gather my wits because I knew I would need them. I didn't recognize the voice of whoever was speaking and that could only mean something bad was going on. Not that I needed more than my current state to tell me that.

I opened my good eye again. Images started to settle and I realized the crack in reality was actually the shattered lens of my mask. A crimson ribbon flowed down, dripping off my nose. It took several moments to realize it was blood. I was bleeding.

A lot.

I heard the woman chuckle to herself. "Arrogant to think… could actually get away… any of this. I learned from... predecessors mistakes. But that puts me… pickle."

I shifted slightly hoping the monologueing villain I was hearing didn't notice as I tried to look to my right side. The first thing I noticed was the pool of blood around me. What was left of my costume was in tatters and burnt. I blinked trying to make sense of what I was seeing as I looked to where the pain was the worst. What was left of my right arm did not extend far past my shoulder. All that was left below that looked like nothing more than bone shards and semi cooked meat. Someone however managed to apply a tourniquet, so that explained why I was still alive, for the moment.

"I learned... great deal from Lung. One of the most important ones, the one I took to... the most was that being an effective leader... all about fear. Business like ours, people are only truly loyal to you when you have them by the balls with a pair of pliers. Enough fear... you'll squeeze and they stop caring about their own interests... dedicate themselves to making you happy. At least... sure you are never unhappy."

Bakuda. She strutted back and forth not far from me. She looked young and considering her affiliations it wasn't hard to figure she was of Asian descent. She had straight black hair but her face was obscured by large opaque goggles and a metal mask with a gas-mask filter. Braided cords of black, yellow, and green wires decorated her shoulders. She had these gas cans attached to her legs and the back of her shoulders. They slowly leaked out a green fog. Looking at the floor around her I could see the bodies of all the bugs I had in the building. Judging by my lack of connection to anything in the area I could guess she did them in too.

My field of vision was extremely limited but even through the shattered lens of my mask I could see some of the others. Tattletale, Leet, and Regent. I assumed the others were also in the line. At least, I hoped they were. Bakuda had them all kneeling as best they could with their hands bound behind their backs while she paced in front of them until she turned to someone I couldn't see.

"Isn't that right?"

I heard a mumbled reply. Without my bugs I had no idea how many she had around us. I got the idea we were surrounded though as her gaze swept behind me and around as she giggled to herself while the minions she looked at shuffled their feet.

"Lung knew it well. He instilled an understanding in each of us to fear him, yet for all his power he was just as much a puppet as those he controlled. I however, will be no ones puppet anymore. Unlike Lung, I am not going to roll over and let some old fuck half a world away tell me how to run my empire."

"That's why you never bothered trying to break Lung out."

I looked to Tattletale. Despite being bloodied a bit, she looked fine. She watched Bakuda intently enough that I had to wonder what her power was telling her. I just hoped it was something that could get the others out of this mess.

I didn't see Oni Lee anywhere but that didn't mean anything since I couldn't move without giving away I was still alive. I just couldn't see any way Bakuda could have captured Renegade so it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that the cape was off dealing with him. We just needed to keep things like this until Renegade took him out and could rescue us.

Bakuda turned to the bound girl while placing her hands on her hips. "Lung only cared about himself and that his superiors were happy. I have other plans for us but that brings us to the point I was making. In inheriting the ABB, I also inherited Lungs enemies. Enemies that might see the change in leadership as something they can exploit. Well, can't have that, can I? No, that will not do. I need to send a clear message to them. One they won't ever forget. One that even the most dimwitted will understand and fear to speak aloud in case it should draw my attention. The only real question I have is, what should it be? What am I going to do to you to set this new standard? It's actually quite the dilemma for me you see..."

I swallowed the bile in my throat while trying keep myself centered in reality. Darkness hung at the edges of my vision and the pain, unbelievably, seemed to get worse as the minutes passed. Still I fought it, clinging to consciousness, bearing it. I wasn't going out like this. Not without a fight and it looked like time was running out.

Bakuda moved outside my vision. "Give."

I heard her footsteps move several steps to my left before she stopped. "You. Park Jihoo, right?"

With every ones attention on Bakuda I risked moving my fingers almost letting out a sigh of relief when they responded by twitching. There was no way I could tell if my omni tool still worked without my H.U.D but considering our situation I knew I couldn't risk finding out right now. I'd probably only get one shot to do something and it needed to be a guaranteed thing. I doubt I'd get a second.

"Ever held a gun before boy?"

"No, Mistress."

"Beat anyone up?"

"N, no…"

"You go to Pressly's, don't you? Private school. Don't guess you have ever been in a fight? I mean a real fight for your life. Scratching, kicking, punching, reaching for anything handy to beat off your enemy or crack his skull?"

The guy sound young and it wasn't hard to hear the desperate whine in his voice when he replied. "Please, no Bakuda. Never…"

"You'll do. Take this."

As I slowly flexed my fingers I felt the handle of the knife I almost never used. Thankful Renegade was always adamant about carrying a physical knife even though we all had omni blades. Movement brought my attention to Leet. He was staring right at me. He must have whispered something to Tattletale because the female cape turned to look as well.

They must have been doing what I was, using Bakuda's inattention and overconfidence to figure out how to get out of this. As I looked directly at Tattletale though my broken goggles, I willed the cape to divine what I was thinking.

"You better be still recording this."

"O, of course, Bakuda!"

"Good, now…"

Thankfully both capes looked away from me as Bakuda once again walked into my field of vision. She was close, barely two feet in front of me. I wouldn't get a better opportunity than this. I just hoped Leet and Tattletale had something ready or this was going to be a huge waste.

"You can shoot one of them now, Park Jihoo. You don't even have to kill them. A knee, leg or arm will do."

Park Jihoo muttered something I couldn't hear. Sounded almost like a prayer. One step, she just needed to back up one more step…

"Please, Bakuda no…"

"They're bad people, if that helps. It's okay to shoot bad people. Surely you've kept up with the current news so you would know just how bad they are. The butch dyke has a verifiable body count. If you're looking for suggestions, I would shoot her. Even the Protectorate wouldn't get mad over that one."

I heard the pistol hit the ground in a metallic clank before I heard Park Jihoo start crying. It was so close I almost flinched giving myself away.

"Hmm. Useless then. No good as a foot soldier if you don't follow orders."

Bakuda strode away ignoring the guy begging for her to not do whatever it was she was going to. I stayed very still not letting my frustration show. Then there was a slight scuffle that was practically right on me before some sort of sizzling pop that made everyone react. A lot of people scrambled around trying to get away from whatever happened as they yelled, cursed, or screamed. It lasted until someone fired a single round. Everyone stopped. After the shrieks of surprise, there was the briefest pause, long enough for one sound to bring everyone to a stunned silence.

It sounded like the noise you make when you rake up dry leaves, but louder, artificial in a way that sounded like it was played over an archaic answering machine. All eyes turned to Bakuda. She was doubled over, hands around her middle less than a foot from me.

I kept my labored breathing as undetectable as I could but I doubted anyone was looking at me now. Judging by the reactions of the people around us I figured Bakuda didn't have many actual gang members with her. She must have done something to make these people do her bidding. Maybe she was holding loved ones hostage or something. It stood to reason that if we could get rid of Bakuda they would probably just run away. I thought they seemed reluctant before, but right now I was willing to bank on them being downright friendly if we could drop the crazy bitch.

With everyone watching Bakuda, I chanced opening my eye again looking to Leet. I couldn't see his face with his helmet still on but he must have noticed me looking as he twisted slightly showing me something in his hands. A slight tilt of his head indicated something where I couldn't see but it had to have something to do with Uber.

"The six-eighteen! Completely forgot about ever making that one! Oh the fun I had making it… Lost three helpers but the final product was more than worth it!"

Bakuda straightened as she turned slightly to face those behind me. "You."

"Ma'am?" I heard a very young voice ask in surprise.

"Tell me little girl; think you can do what Park Jihoo wouldn't?"

"Ye... yes, Bakuda. I think so…"

"AND that makes my point." The lunatic bomber stated as she turned once more to her captives. "See how eager she is to make me happy? _Fear._ Fear that I will do to her what I did to Park Jihoo. Fear I will activate the bombs I put in her families heads and who knows what those will do? Maybe they won't go as quick as Park Jihoo. Maybe it will take time for them to do their work. I made a lot of bombs that would do that even if I don't know which ones I put in who.

"Do you see now? Do you understand what happened when this dead bitch fucked up and captured Lung? He was always more than happy to do what he was told by his superiors in China, but not me. Oh, no, no, no. My genius and ambition reach so much further! And that isn't even the best part you see. I can not only activate each of those bomb with nothing more than my mind, but every one of them are also set so that if I die, they will too. Everyone. One. Of. Them. They not only have to please me or go ka-boom, but they also have to make sure nothing ever happens to me!"

As Bakuda reared back and laughed I noticed Tattletale mouthing something at me. She would mouth the words then look at Bakuda. It took me a moment to figure out what she was trying to say but that didn't make me any wiser to what she was up too.

_Do. It._

I blinked. Tattletale nodded slowly in understanding. All that was left for us was hope. Hope that Leet had a plan and this worked.

My fingers grasp the handle of my knife and yanked it free. No one noticed anything until I sank all six inches of the blade into the back of gloating villain's calf.

Bakuda's laughter turned into a terrified, pained shriek as she fell to the ground. She half rolled over to see who dared to attack her but I doubt she expected for it to be me.

"You talk too much," I painfully snarled at the stunned cape still holding the knife in her leg.

My world spun sickeningly as I reared back from Bakuda's kick to my head. If I hurt before, it was nothing compared to the pain that exploded as I was forced onto my side from the impact. Then the room seemed to dance for a different reason.

Whatever Leet cooked up caused the room to arc with all kinds of electrical eddies. Everything was thrown into stark relief as people screamed in surprise, fear, or pain. I hurt to badly to care about anything but Bakuda. As she stood up I noted with grim satisfaction my knife was still sticking through her leg. With the handle flush against her and the tip sticking out her shin, I couldn't help but think, that had to hurt like hell.

I hurt so much and it was so cold. The darkness I'd been fighting was overtaking me now no matter how hard I fought to stay conscious. So tired. It wouldn't take anything from me to just give into to it, let the blackness overtaking me do its thing. No more struggle, no more pain...

Bakuda finally made it to her feet. She was screaming something but the room had dissolved into chaos from whatever Leet did. My mind was so consumed by my injuries I could hardly think but I hopefully still had one more play. I owed it to Uber and Leet for the mess I got them into. As I activated my omni tool, I just hoped it proved to be enough to square us.

Once more I lunged at the psychotic cape. My omni blade extending as I swung my arm down with all my remaining strength. When the flash forged blade hit the floor it quickly winked out making me wonder if I even managed to hit her at all.

I laid there, too exhausted, too hurt to move. I couldn't see anyone around me anymore. Looked like Uber or Leet managed to get everyone loose. That was good. Made this worth it.

As my vision continued to fade I noticed something smoking on the ground. I blinked away the tears falling out of my good eye until my vision settled and I understood what I was seeing.

It was half a boot. The front half. I squinted slightly before I could see the cauterized flesh that was half of someones foot, still in it.

I smiled. Oni Lee might have got me, but I got Bakuda's foot. Even though I'll probably never be able to clap again, assuming I lived through this, Bakuda won't ever be able to go to the beach again without thinking of me.

As I finally blacked out to the pain, I strangely found comfort in that.

_XxXExiledXxX_

The streets were quiet as he raced through the night. Nothing stirred. It was that which unnerved him the most. Nothing good came from this kind of silence. It wasn't the peaceful stillness of the world sleeping, but the all consuming silence that came after a battle was over and there was nothing left alive to make noise. As Renegade hurtled a ground car, landing easily on the far side, he couldn't help but think it didn't bode well.

His sprint finally carried him into the engagement zone. The true scope of the battle laid bare to him as he raced through the war torn street. Impacts from stray rounds showed in the harsh electric glare of the few still working street lamps. The building he fought Oni Lee in lay on its side in ruins. As he closed the distance to his destination he noted the still smoking craters where rockets exploded. However it was only as got within fifty yards of his objective that he saw something that gave him hope. Renegade saw the wounded.

They were everywhere. Bunkered behind cover tending to each other. Those that could move, moved furtively as if afraid of being shot again. That gave him hope. If the enemy hadn't had time to clear the field of battle or still worried about the possibility of being shot, then he wasn't too late.

None of them interfered or tried to stop him as he advanced so he ignored them. He habitually checked those he passed for weapons noting how few of them were armed with anything remotely dangerous. He let the puzzle be. It wasn't important, only that they didn't hinder him was.

As he finally closed on the factory he noted his arrival was going to put him on the back side. There were no breaches in the wall here but there was a door that stood open. It was there, after far too long away, that Renegade finally re-entered the building.

Two groups stood opposite of each other. Two on one side, four on the other. All wounded in some fashion. Whatever they were discussing vanished as they spun to him after he barreled into the machinery opposite his door hard enough that his hand indented the heavy metal casing. Six pairs of eyes stared at him. Six hands armed with a variety of weapons slowly lowered as they realized who he was, but Renegade didn't see any of them. He only saw the broken body in the middle of the floor.

She lay there unmoving in a pool of her own blood. Her neryia burnt so badly Renegade could no longer discern any of the gray hieroglyphics on it. The body that only a few hours ago laid exposed to the very air they breathed, bent unnaturally. Her faceplate shattered so completely he easily saw her face staring lifelessly at him. Shepard stumbled forward disbelievingly toward her knowing, he was too late.

Her dead eyes slowly moved to him as he approached. The usual shine that was a unique trait of her species eyes, was non existent as they looked into his own.

_You failed._

Shepard swallowed the bile that rose within him at those words. "No… we won…"

_**You**__ won. Because isn't _that_ what Commander Shepard does? He wins, no matter the cost?_

"You know it wasn't like that. I…"

_Now another has fallen for you. You failed her, like you failed us. _Tali's lifeless eyes continue to bore into his own, accusingly.

Shepard flinched at the dead quarians barbed words. "I came as quickly as I could…"

_And yet, we are still dead. __**Taylor**__ is still dead, just like I am. Just like Ashley._

He stood speechless, her words continued even though her bloodied lips never moved.

_Why are you even here? Don't you have a mission to finish?_

Her colorless eyes moved away from him looking to something behind him. Shepard turned to see the Citadel beam still pulsing as the night sky was ripped apart by explosions. Through it, the Normandy banked hard to port before the baleful red beam bisected it. He barely felt the concussion when it's drivecore exploded sending what wreckage that wasn't atomized flying in all directions.

_That's what you always do. It was what you did last time. _

Shepard barely noticed when his legs gave out or when his armored knees hit the ground before her.

"It was never about the mission, Tali. You know that. I didn't have a choice…"

**_Liar._**

"Tali…" He painfully started before she cut off what he was going to say.

_You always had a choice. You choose to find us. You choose to take us with you. You choose to make us care. Made us think you knew what was best. But in the end, no matter what happened to us, you always _choose_ the mission. Even when you found yourself on your home world again, finally free of all of this, you still choose the mission. Even if you had to make one up._

"It wasn't supposed to be like this…"

_She's right you know._ Shepard turned to the new voice paling as he saw Garrus. His lower jaw swung free, attached only by the cybernetics implanted in him after Omega. What he could clearly see of his friend showed he was already well into the change the Reapers designed for turians. Garrus's heat blistered armor was still smoking as the undead turian looked at the ruined landscape around them with glowing red eyes. _You know what you have to do now._

"I… failed you, _her._ There's nothing left…"

_There is __**vengeance.**_

He felt the husks clawed hand grab his shoulder. Instinct honed from years of fighting Reaper abominations had him on his feet before the creature could get his hands around his throat. Shepard spun around bringing his arm back as his omni blade sprung to life.

"Whoa man! Same team!"

Renegade froze. It wasn't a husk. His omni blade hung motionless only inches from the helmeted head in front of him. "...Uber?"

Uber trembled slightly but he nodded. Renegade looked around him. Blasted factory walls, broken machinery. Then he noticed the others all watching him in different states of shock.

"This isn't London… I'm in... Brockton Bay?"

"London? Man are you alright?"

With only a slight adjustment of his hand, Renegade's omni blade retracted. Much to Ubers relief. Renegade spun around looking to the floor seeing Matriarch lying there. Taylor, not Tali.

"Is she…"

"No." Uber answered quickly as he tried to assure him. "I got her stable but I'm not going to lie to you man. She's in a bad way. We need to get her back to base, fast."

Renegade slowly nodded though the stiffness of his posture never changed as he tried not to look at her ruined arm. "Bakuda?"

"Gone. Matriarch hurt her pretty badly but she hightailed it fast after we got loose. Most of her people scattered about the same time. I think there was only a few of them who left with her though. The rest sort of just ran." Leet reported.

"Okay." Renegade said as he nodded sharply. "You and Uber get Matriarch back to base and do what you can for her."

"Hey, you're not coming?" Uber asked.

Renegade shook his head as he looked around the room. He saw what he needed half hidden by the old industrial machine to his right. He turned back to Leet. "I'll contact Team Mako and have them meet up with you. Fix Matriarch. Protect Vates."

"What are you going to do?" Leet asked worriedly.

"Finish this." Renegade's reply was as firm as it was final. "Go. Contact me when you have something on Matriarch's condition."

"Man, I don't think…" Uber started before Renegade cut him off.

_"__Now." _

They stood silently for a moment before Leet sighed. He gestured something to Uber and both capes moved to Matriarch. Though he noted Uber kept looking back at him as they got her situated on a makeshift stretcher put together from their omni tools. Renegade focus turned to the Undersiders who watched the entire exchange without saying a word. "You should go as well. Uber and Leet will give you directions to a safe exit."

The four of them looked to each other before focusing on Tattletale. She looked like she wanted to say something, but didn't. Instead she nodded which convinced the others. They moved in a line following Uber who was helping Leet move Matriarch into the escape hatch. Renegade waited until all them had left before he resealed the exit.

He turned his attention to the corner where the gang member he noticed earlier was hiding. He couldn't do anything to help Taylor, but he could make sure Bakuda never threatened her again. It was with that thought Renegade strode purposefully until he arrived where the panicked enemy was hold up.

He was a young kid. Maybe twenty dressed in tore up street clothes common to the time and area. The pistol in his hand flew from his grip before he could bring it to bear. Renegade reached down grabbing him by his shirt front before bodily dragging him back to the main area ignoring his pleading cries for mercy.

He quickly secured the ABB thug to the chair Taylor used earlier. Once finished he activated his omni tool.

"Chatika, have you redirected Team Mako to the new rendezvous?"

"Yes, Commander. They will arrive shortly."

Renegade nodded. "No problems?"

"No Commander."

"Good. Theta-Dark until further notice."

"Commander…"

"Theta-Dark, Chatika." He ordered sternly.

The line was quiet for a moment before she replied. "...Very well. Disconnecting omni tool from network. Mission recordings; disabled. Emergency channels only until further notice."

Renegade deactivated his omni tool before turning to his captive. He looked over the toughs tattoos also noting the bandana wrapped around his arm. This wasn't one of the skittish cannon fodder types they decimated earlier. His tattoos and colors indicated someone on the inside.

Perfect.

"Bakuda's hurt. She'll retreat to a place she feels is safe to regroup. Tell me where."

"Please, she'll kill me!"

Renegade remained silent just staring at the bound man. After several long moments when it became clear he wasn't going to offer the information he wanted, Renegade stated quietly, "There are far worse things than death, my friend."

The asian man shook his head frantically as he tried to get out of his bonds. Renegade watched his useless struggle dispassionately for a moment before he started speaking again. "Something I found out myself when I was once in your position. Thanks to an asari pirate who captured me when I was trying to kill her.

"Syren Brenioth. Nasty bitch. Made a name for herself as a provider of very obedient slaves. Not a very talented biotic but she mastered this one technique that made up for it. It's actually illegal to use on a sentient being in asari space, but we were way out in the Terminus where most laws don't apply…"

"Look, just let me go and I'll never bother you again! I didn't even want to come here tonight!"

"Syren figured I'd make a good slave once I was properly 'conditioned." Renegade continued completely ignoring the man's plea's. "Problem with that was I was trained to resist torture. Say what you will about the Alliance; no one ever said they did things half assed. She tired for days to break me without success. No clue how many; sort of lost track not long into it. Still, I held on. I resisted. Didn't know the sick bitch liked a challenge."

Renegade chuckled humorlessly. "Not that there was anything I could do about it mind you. So she decides to use this thing on me. Never even had a name for it until I recruited Samara. The old Justicar called it the 'Suncerin Bular'. Basically translates as 'To Reave the Soul'. Let me tell you something, the name is very appropriate."

In the past he always avoided using this skill against a sentient target. Still, there were times when it couldn't have been avoided. Just as there were times he needed too to stay alive. He brought himself out of his momentary introspection to focus back to what he needed to do now. His captive continued his unceasing pleas but still didn't offer the information he wanted. He would though.

They always did.

"This is going to hurt." Renegade stated as he raised his hand, pointing it at the man before him. The dark energy he invoked coalesced as he directed. Purplish-blue mist rose from his captive flowing out of his body before coursing into Renegade's. Wounds slowly began to knit closed as his body revitalized from the infusion. The man in the chair screamed so loud it wouldn't have surprised Renegade if he ruptured his vocal cords.

"A lot."


	42. The Omega Shuffle 10

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.10**

"Well." He stated as he lowered the binoculars from his eyes. "That could have gone better."

The woman beside him snorted. "Understatement if there ever was one, Ayres. Personally, I can't see how this could have gone any worse. Completely balls up, this is."

Ayres chuckled at the disgusted tone from his teammate as he raised the binoculars again. Renegade walked out of the building, alone. Did that mean their ploy managed to get the extras as they intended? Or did they have another way out of the building? With the two tinkers in their merry band anything was possible, he supposed. At least the screaming finally stopped. There was something about it that sent chills down his spine. "Not quite, Bellatrix."

"I fail to see how this farce is anything except a complete failure."

Ayres shrugged unconcerned as he watched Renegade do something to the large semi truck he stood next to. "We gained very important intel. We know now that Matriarch's group is a lot bigger than the Protectorate suspected. We know Uber and Leet are now working for them as well as three others. They apparently have some kind of alliance with the Undersiders. Might even be trying to bring them into the fold.

"We learned something of their fortification tactics. In the end the recording we made of this will be invaluable. Not just as an intelligence resource, but also to highlight to the Protectorate just how dangerous these villains are. If nothing else that should get us more freedom to operate how we want. I doubt Piggot is going to be pleased when she see's how quickly and completely they took over that building or the shear damage they did defending it. Besides, there is a good chance the ABB managed to get at least one of them."

The half hunched over man to his left giggled as he nodded his head to Ayres points. "Good philosophy, see good in bad. I like."

For her part Bellatrix didn't reply. Instead she folded her arms as she looked into the war torn night, seemingly unimpressed with his argument.

Renegade finally seemed satisfied about whatever he was doing. He climbed into the large truck. Even from the rooftop they were observing him on, they could hear the vehicle come to life.

"So." The robed woman next to him muttered. "We are just going to let him go do whatever he's going to go do then? We're not going to take him out now that he's separated from the others?"

Ayres lowered the spy glasses as he shook his head. "No. We will go over the footage and plan our next move. We have to walk carefully with this one. Its too important to certain 'people'."

The duster clad cape turned to the man beside him. "Lo Wang, if you would?"

The bare-chested man laughed insanely as all three became enveloped in the swirling blackness that was the capes power, vanishing from sight.

The only sound to break the sudden stillness of the empty rooftop came from down below, as the 5.0-liter turbo diesel V-8 roared like an enraged beast as it charged into the night.

_XxXExiledXxX_

The room was quiet with the team all gathered around the bed like mourners at a wake. The newest members looking far more ashen than the more seasoned cape in attendance. The sound of the door opening brought his attention away from the bed in time to see his friend closing the door behind him. Looking much cleaner now, despite that half his costume was ruined. Too shot up to reuse, but that was a problem for another day. "Watch your ear, Steve."

Steve's arm reached up before bringing his bloodied fingers back. "Yeah, it's fine. I have just enough left to take care of you before I'll have to let this ability go. Man, I don't think I've ever held one this long. Didn't know it would hurt like this."

"You've been holding that skill for over an hour man. Let it go, I'm fine."

"Bullshit Greg. You got fucked up worse than I did. At least let me look at your hand and shoulder. If I let this skill go now I won't be able to reuse it for a whole day. Can't waste it."

He slumped slightly in his chair. "Fine."

The brown haired youth nodded at getting his way before taking the seat next to him. Gregory allowed him to give the burns on his hand a knowing look.

"Tendons damaged I think. How long before we can use Mr. Doctor again?"

"Couple of hours, but if it can wait, I can deal with it till morning." He turned back to the bed where Taylor rested. "Just in case."

Dinah sniffled at his comment but stayed quiet otherwise as she held onto Taylor's hand. Like all of them she was still in costume sans mask. That pretty much was the only thing any of them took the time to take off since they got back. The new girl, Aisha he thought she said her name was, just looked at both of them before turning blankly back to Taylor. As Steve started to prod his shoulder he directed his next comment at the new cape. "Not what you were expecting, eh?"

The dark skinned cape turned to him looking a bit sick. "No. I mean, I knew capes got hurt, but this shit, this is fucked up." As Greg's eyes turned back to their damaged leader he couldn't help but agree with her.

"She tried to warn you." Steve muttered as he worked the shoulder in his hands testing the range. "Not too late to bail, you know."

"Hell no. I said I was in, I'm in." Greg smiled slightly as the teen shook her head sending her short hair bouncing around her. "Besides, she got hurt holding up our deal. I'm not going to leave her hanging now."

The tinker's smile turned downward. If it would have been his call, he'd have let the Undersiders get what they had coming. He didn't know what her connection to the them was, but it bothered him more now than it ever did before. However, that wasn't his call either.

"Still can't believe what happened to you guys."

Now that his friend finally stopped trying to dislocate his shoulder, he leaned back to get comfortable. "Yeah, not exactly to plan."

"How can you be so calm about this? I wasn't even there and I'm freaking out." Rorrim was the only one who hadn't taken off her mask but he didn't expect her to. Taylor told them part of the price of her help was her anonymity so he let it slide. Besides, Taylor and Shepard knew who she was and that was good enough for him. As he watched her he noticed she was hugging herself. Definitely not a seasoned cape.

Steve answered for them. "In a career like ours, luck isn't even lucky. You get used to it, make your own breaks. Important thing is, we're still alive, Taylor's still alive. We'll sort the rest out as we can."

They all turned back to the girl on the bed. The left side of her head was covered, including her left eye. Bit of time to heal mixed with the fluids flowing into her from the IV's in her arm and she'd recover from that. Thanks to the blanket she was wrapped in you couldn't see the bandages around her ribs or the one's on her legs. Like her eye, all that would get fixed up in a few days though she'd have some new scars. Steve said she'd be down likely a week from the concussion but she'd mostly make a full recovery.

"Still can't believe how tough she is," Steve observed. "You wouldn't think it with how scrawny she is, you know? I don't think I could have done what she did tonight."

Gregory snorted in agreement. "No shit. It's almost funny when you think about it. Didn't think much of her when I first saw her during our trade despite what Shepard said she did. Even after she kicked both our assess I didn't think much of her until that night in our warehouse and even then, I was mostly scared of Shepard."

"Dude, give the girl her due. She scared the shit out of _me_ that night."

Greg chuckled. "I didn't say she didn't scare me man, just that Renegade was the more obvious thing to worry about. All flashy powers and guns and shit. All Taylor had to do was say 'break them into bite size kibble for my bugs' and you know he'd have done it."

Steve nodded, chuckling self mockingly as he remembered that night. "You say that like he still wouldn't."

Both cape's quiet laughter slowly faded before Gregory started talking again. "Tonight when I saw her there on the ground like that, all beat to hell and blown up, I thought she was had. I mean, I know she said her costume and gear were good, but no one's that good, you know? Yet, she still had enough fight in her to not only stab Bakuda through the leg, but take her foot too. Man, I would have given almost _anything_ to see the look on Bakuda's face when Taylor told her she talked too much… But _fuck_ man, it's fucking scary when you think about it. The way she went after Bakuda like that. Especially with her arm all blown to shit…"

His eyes turned to her right side where her arm was completely missing now. He swallowed thickly at the sight. Not even his tinker healing machine could fix that kind of damage. The harsh truth was, there just wasn't enough of it left to save.

As if he was thinking the same thing, Steve broke the silence. "Think we could get Othala to fix that?"

Greg tilted his head as he thought about it. "Taylor's white enough. Maybe if we got Othala alone to ask and not around Victor but that's practically impossible. I don't remember ever seeing her without him around. Besides, we don't even know if she can even regrow limbs. We never completely lost one before. You still had most of your leg when we went to her last time and she almost refused to heal you when Victor saw me, remember? That was why I made Mr. Doctor in the first place. Besides, that cost us what, one, two hundred k'? Not sure what her money situation is like but we don't have that kind of access to check and Shepard isn't here."

"What about Panacea?" Aisha asked. "Can't we just kidnap her or something and make her heal Taylor? Rumor is she'll heal anyone and won't charge or anything."

Steve shook his head this time. "Yeah, during Endbringer fights, sure, but she doesn't heal villains otherwise unless the Protectorate asks her too and that only happens when they're in custody. Even if we took Taylor to her out of costume, how are we going to explain her injuries? Man, one look at them is enough to know she was in a cape fight. Normal people just don't get their fucking arm blown off like that.

"The harsh fact is, we're just not in a position to take on New Wave, and you better fucking believe if we kidnap Glory Girl's sister, they're going to hunt us to the ends of the mother fucking earth. Not to mention half the worlds heroes will happily join in to kick us in the balls the second they find us. Panacea is just way too high profile."

"I could build her something." Greg muttered. Ideas already swirling around in his head.

Even though he said it quietly everyone turned to him. However it was his best friend who knew him so well that actually questioned him. "You thinking 'Full Metal' style?"

He nodded as he gestured to make his point. "We talked about it before. You know, just in case."

"True, but not exactly subtle man. It's going to be a bitch to hide. Especially during summer. Not to mention I'll need to do the nerve grafts. Mr. Doctor doesn't do that."

Greg turned to the cape next to him. "Think you could handle it?"

"Well, yeah. I can't think of a surgeon in the world who can match what my power can do. But, this isn't exactly common shit and I'll need to make some things for it but, yeah. Last time we talked about it I managed to pull a skill that would let me but, nerve grafts man, won't be easy. For me or her. Her body will need to be a lot stronger than this. Then once we start I'll have to hold that skill until we're done. She'll be hating life before we finish." Steve replied grimly.

"Seriously? You can do something like that?" Rorrim asked shocked.

Despite the circumstance, the slouching cape smiled smugly. "You heard him. If he says he can pull the skill from his bag of tricks, then he can attach what I build. Never made one before and the first is always kickin'. If I do this though, I'll need to get a plan together first. That way my power won't just do it's thing and she'll be stuck with whatever. Like when Shepard sent me that omni tool data. Man, that helped so much and it's _still _the best one we have... Auto repair protocol maybe? Was saving that idea for something special. This will do. That way I won't have to constantly fix the damn thing when she breaks it. Good odds she will too with the way things are going. Yeah, might as well go all out. You know, really give it the works..."

The masked cape shook her head in disbelief as the tinker seemed to lose himself in his idea. "You should wait for Renegade to get back before you do anything. He's in charge now, right?"

Steve nodded his head easily as Greg somehow pulled himself out of his daydream. "Damn right we'll wait. We'll have to have more access to Chatika before either of us can do anything anyways. Besides, I'm not doing anything unless Taylor's cool with it. So that means she needs to wake up first. She's the one who's got to live with this thing. If she doesn't want it, we'll find a healer somewhere to fix her."

The room descended into silence again as everyone delved into their own thoughts. When Dinah yawned for the third time, Rorrim decided enough was enough.

"Come on, lets get you in bed."

The young girl shook her head adamantly. "No. I'm going to be here when she wakes up."

"She's not going to wake up anytime tonight, Little Mint." Steve assured her. "Not with that much morphine. I can't tell now, but I'm pretty sure I timed things so she shouldn't wake up until I can use my skill again so I can check on her."

At first it didn't look like Dinah was going to give in, but then she yawned once more. Sagging slightly in her chair knowing she wasn't going to win this one, she turned to his friend looking very stern. "Promise you will wake me if she does?"

"Promise. Look, pinky swear and everything!"

The little girl solemnly linked her pinky with his after he offered it. "Eighty six point four five one eight that if you lie to me, I can get Imp to hurt you."

Greg covered his mouth with his hand fighting the laugh that almost came out of him at the look on Steve's face. One look at Aisha saw her nodding seriously to the threat. He still couldn't resist getting in his own shot though. "I'd bet on those odds."

"Traitor." Steve muttered to him as he nodded to Dinah. "I've never broken a pinky swear, you know."

"I know." Dinah muttered bashfully as if she realized what she said. "I just really want to be here when she wakes up, you know?"

"I'll get you first thing, Little Mint. You have my word."

Apparently satisfied, Dinah finally allowed Rorrim to lead her out of the room leaving the three of them to continue their vigil. It was almost half an hour later before Aisha broke the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Any messages from him?"

"No." The tinker answered.

"What do you guys think Shepard's up too?"

Steve snorted humorlessly. "Bout eighty."

"Huh? What do you mean? Eighty what?"

There was absolutely no doubt in his mind what Shepard was doing. He saw it in the cape's eyes when he finally tore them off Taylor. Whatever his past was, it had to be bad. Like, horribly bad for him to react like he did when he saw her lying on the floor. They were all shocked but none of them had that same _look_ to them over what happened.

Did he lose Tali when he triggered? Or was it as he thought, that losing whoever Tali was, was his trigger? He didn't know and wasn't going to ask, but it was clear enough to him that Shepard was _pissed_ about what happened to Taylor. He only ever seen the man angry once before, and even then he wasn't _this_ angry. It was with those thoughts Gregory replied grimly.

"Dead bodies."

_XxXExiledXxX_

Chin Lee faced outward as he was instructed to by Bakuda after she came back. With the way she screamed at him he knew better than to question it, or anything else she ordered. Never before had he seen her so enraged. If there was one thing he discovered since he was inducted into the Azn Bad Boys, it was never to cross that cape. It was detrimental to ones health at the best of times.

Because of his dedication to his post, he saw the headlights first. The semi cut the corner far faster than he was sure was wise. Tires squealed loudly working in concert to the blare of the engine. Yet miraculously, it still managed to get around the corner down the street without hitting anything. It swerved several times before it finally settled on a direct course toward the parking garage he was guarding. As the distance closed Chin Lee started to worry.

Smoke billowed thickly from the vehicle's stacks. The roar of the engine broke the sleepy night as it quickly drew closer. It wasn't until it crossed the street ahead of him that he realized, it wasn't slowing down. The engine cut slightly before roaring back stronger and louder than ever. The whole truck jerked as it accepted the gear. Closing the distance so fast Chin Lee knew there was no way it was going to be able to stop in time. It wasn't until the driver shifted gears again causing the rig to practically leap forward that he realized the driver had no intention of stopping.

Unashamedly, Chin Lee screamed as he threw himself out of the way. The others attracted by the vehicle's noise also got well clear. The huge truck barreled past him smashing aside the barricade like tissue paper before slamming into Bakuda's jeep on the far side of the garage. The wall of flames from the explosion was the last thing any of the unfortunate guardsmen ever saw.

Moments later, the crumpled remains of the cab's door flew from the wreckage. From within the pyromaniac's version of Nirvana, a single figure emerged unsteadily. Body consumed by a blue, black and purple nimbus. Light from the flames distorted his appearance to the point it could only be just considered human.

The sound that emerged from the figure, had anyone been alive to hear it, could only be described as laughter, but it wasn't the light-hearted laughter of the sane. It was a cold, calculating sort of laughter. The kind of laughter that would have caused people to stare in terror at whatever the man found funny. There was no warmth in that voice. Only a grim promise.

"Can't believe that worked again. Too bad James isn't around, he'd owe me a hundred credits..."

Once he was firmly on the ground, Renegade looked about the ruined interior unclipping his pistol from it's magnetic holster. He paused only a moment to shake the last vestiges of the Stasis from his mind before he strode to the stairwell. His informant stated the target would be in the deepest parts of the basement, two floors down. That was where he headed.

The door was locked but it never slowed him down. A hard kick sent it flying inward, killing whoever was standing on the other side. The pained scream never even registered to his senses as he shot another before slicing a third with his omni blade.

Never breaking stride, he advanced downward. Automatic weapons fire erupted from below as panicked gang members tried to stall him. Renegade momentarily moved out of the line of fire before returning some of his own. The massive ball of dark energy sailed slowly downward until it seemed to fold in on itself, exploding with enough force to rattle the building's foundations.

Once more he advanced passing the spider-cracked concrete walls and half-slagged metal that once railed the stairs he traversed. To the mangled corpses he found there, he paid no attention at all.

No one else appeared to try and stop him and he very quickly found himself on the right floor. Once more he kicked the door in before entering Bakuda's lab.

"Mother fu…"

Renegade lowered his hand as he looked around the room. It was a big room. Shelves lined all four walls. More shelves took up most of the interior except for a huge workbench which dominated that section. As he assessed all the different items on the shelves he came to only one conclusion. Her extranet bio didn't do her justice. Bakuda didn't just make a lot of bombs. She made a fuck-ton of bombs.

He saw grenades, both for personal use and those meant for a launcher. Rockets, traps, boxes and packages of all kinds. Every kind of explosive he ever heard of was in this room and there was no telling what any of them would do when used. Then he noticed the terminal at her workbench.

He casually passed the Stasised villain to access it. It only took him a moment to get in. While the protections were impressive in their own way, the crazy bomber bitch did have a knack for convoluted passwords, they didn't hold a candle to what he was used to dealing with. It only took him a few minutes and he owned the system.

"..cke…"

He gestured again to shut her up while he focused on what was on the terminal. Most of it looked like profiles of everyone in the ABB. Them, their families, their friends, their pets, it was all there. Renegade nodded. Had to give her points for thoroughness. It also gave him a clue to the kind of person he was dealing with.

With how narcissistic she was about her people, he knew there had to be something on her explosives. He had to stasis Bakuda two more times before he found what he was looking for. Just like he figured, she recorded everything on them except for how she built them. Not that he was surprised after working with Leet. Seemed to be a tinker thing but that suited him just fine. Just by what he was seeing on the screen, it was better if these things were never replicated.

He activated his omni tool. "Chatika."

"Commander. Is Theta-Dark being rescinded?" the V.I. responded.

"Not yet, but tell Leet or Uber I want one of them to acquire transport and rendezvous at this location ASAP. Tell them to make it something with cargo capacity. Also, I want everything on this terminal copied to your servers and locked down tight under Spectre level encryption."

"Acknowledged, Commander. Do you wish an update on Matriarch now?"

He did, but he couldn't. Renegade turned to where Bakuda stood motionless. Not yet. He had to finish this first.

"No."

"...Understood."

He deactivated his omni tool and waited for the Stasis to end. It didn't take long. It never did after multiple applications. The second she unfroze he struck her in the back of the head with his pistol grip. Whatever she was trying to say was lost to her shrill shriek as she sprawled forward losing the launcher in her hands. Renegade wasted no time picking the woman up and securing her to her own chair tightly before taking a position in front of her.

For a moment, he just watched dispassionately as she snarled at him. Cursing him in multiple languages and describing in incredible detail what she was going to do to him when she got free.

"...when my people get in here…"

Having listened to enough, Renegade interrupted her. "Your people are dead. The ones here anyways. Reinforcements are still a long way away. Most of those you implanted are most likely still trying to make their way home. Of those who already did, I doubt very seriously they are going to help you."

The villain laughed. "They don't have a choice."

"Because you'll activate the bombs in their heads, yeah, I know. Found that on your terminal. Also found out to do that you need your control box. Judging by the fact you haven't already killed a couple to spur them along to defend you, I'm willing to gamble that you're missing something." Renegade looked purposefully down at bandaged leg that was bound to the chair he strapped her into. "Well, missing a couple of things I guess."

"You fucking bastard…"

Renegade nodded dispassionately. "I have my moments. I also found that if you die, so do they. Not very original, but effective in its way, I'll grant you."

"You won't kill me. If you looked at my computer you know what will happen if you do. What do you plan to do, turn me in?" Bakuda laughed. "Don't you realize I'm a fucking genius? I planned for every possible outcome! I won't be in jail five minutes before someone rescues me!"

Renegade nodded as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, you do think highly of yourself don't you…"

Bakuda must have heard something in his voice because she suddenly stopped gloating. Renegade didn't notice as he nodded to himself.

"Yes. That will do." Renegade refocused back on his captive as if realizing he was being rude by ignoring her. "The old debate between Mordin and I."

"What the fuck are you gibbering about you fucking moron?" Bakuda snarled.

"Just an academic argument we were never able to answer." Renegade answered easily as he looked around the room again. "You see, Mordin was a strange guy. Brilliant, no question, but strange. Found the most unusual things fascinating. I didn't realize how strange until just after a mission he needed done on Tuchanka.

"We were in the mess, talking about nothing really, when he casually brings up the Prothean Beacon I accidentally activated on Eden Prime. Mordin wondered if it was a quirk of human mental conditioning and genetics that allowed me to survive the experience, or if it was something unique to me personally. Never did figure it out since the beacon was destroyed and even if I knew how, I wasn't willing to burn that damn incomplete cypher into anyone else's head just to see what would happen."

Renegade turned to look at his captive audience. His pitch black eyes drilling directly into Bakuda's own. "Until now."

For the first time since this whole thing started Renegade saw an emotion on her face that he was willing to bet good credits Bakuda rarely displayed, if ever. Fear.

"What do you say, Bakuda?"

"What the fuck are you? You stay the hell away from me!"

"So glad you agree…"

Bakuda's struggle grew frantic as Renegade approached closer to her. "It's been documented that the human mind shuts down if it receives too much negative stimulus in order to protect itself. Locking as much of it away as it can to maintain functionality. I'd tell you this to comfort you but…"

Renegade grabbed her head with both hands. Bakuda screamed at him as her eyes darted about frantically. "...I know better. You'd be absolutely astounded what we, as a species, can live through. Don't worry though, you're about to find out, Bakuda, as you _Embrace Eternity!_"


	43. The Omega Shuffle 11

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.11**

Greg closed the door to what was now the ship's infirmary but had originally been just a place for them to store some of his still-working tech. The sole patient was sleeping steadily thanks to the drug cocktail that Steve had given her a while ago. They were running through it fast, not that there was a lot on hand to start with. As he scratched his dark hair, he thought about ways for them to procure more pharmaceuticals. Wouldn't be that hard to do really. Maybe a drugstore this time, or should they just go and hit a doctors' office? Did they even carry prescription-grade drugs there anymore? They could always hit a hospital, but that was just too fucked up. Had to draw the line somewhere, even if they needed the supplies. He nodded to himself. Yeah, they could make due with a regular drugstore. They would have the things they needed and besides, they were insured. Greg thought they were anyways. Maybe Shepard knew where a Merchant storehouse was. Sometimes they had good stuff lying around. Worth asking about next time he surfaced.

He looked around the room noticing it was very quiet. Probably because he wasn't hearing Mr. Doctor's little beeps and things anymore. That and Dinah was asleep. Rorrim too most likely. Chatika's systems were mostly down out of respect for the time. It gave the room a ghostly feel but maybe that was just his mindset right now. Steve still wasn't back from running Aisha to shore and Shepard was doing his own thing. That guy never seemed to sleep.

The tinker turned to the hatch that led to Shepard's workshop. It was closed. A floating red indicator signified it was occupied and locked. He shook his head not knowing what was going on with that. He expected him to at least check on Taylor before throwing himself into another project. If anyone knew about being lost to your powers whims, it was him, but even still. He figured they were a thing. If it was his girlfriend laid up, he'd have checked. Powers be damned.

The stillness of the room was broken when the door on the far side opened and his best friend walked through. He looked haggard but that was understandable considering everything that happened today. He didn't even think about it as he walked to the fridge getting both of them a beer before taking a seat across from where Steve flopped down on the couch.

"Thanks man," Steve said tiredly.

"Not your brand, but it's all Shepard has right now," he replied as he opened his own.

Steve didn't even hesitate before opening the can and saluting him. "After all the shit that's happened, I'll take what I can get."

Greg waited until his friend lowered the already half empty can before he asked the question that had been on his mind. "Do you think she's coming back?"

"Said she would."

"Okay. Same question."

The blond sighed. "Man, I don't know. She said she'd stick, but yeah. No idea. She wasn't in the talking mood. Probably would have used her power if I wouldn't have gotten confused and turned the boat around to come back once I forgot she was there."

"Man, I am so not cool with her connection to the Undersiders."

Steve grunted his agreement before lowing the drink from his lips. "Not much we can do about it. Taylor trusted her enough to bring her here. All we can do is let it ride. Besides, I doubt she'll try anything after the shit Shepard did tonight. I'd bet he could find even her if he wanted to."

Greg nodded to that harsh wisdom. "True enough. Was just sayin'. She was pretty insistent on wanting to go into the city to talk to the Undersiders tonight. If she said anything, that was all she would talk about after you left to pick up Shepard."

"I know man but I doubt we have to worry about her double crossing us tonight, not with the mood Shepard's in. How's Little Mint?" Steve asked as he took a more moderate sip.

"Dinah's finally asleep. Rorrim stayed with her."

Steve lowered the can as he nodded. "Do you think she'll stay? You know, after everything that happened?"

Greg shook his head. "No clue. She was pretty freaked out by what happened to Taylor. I think the only thing keeping her around right now is Dinah. Don't think she trusts us to take care of her."

"Dude, it's not like our record is helping us out there," his friend stated wryly.

Greg chuckled accepting the point. "Never said it was. Just saying that I don't think she'll stay once Taylor's up and around. This is all way above what she signed on for."

Steve wiped his face tiredly. "Man, what a fuck up this is. Things were just starting to go right, too. I suppose it's too much to ask that he changed his mind?"

Greg answered having no doubt what he was talking about. "Not that I know of. Locked himself in his lab since you left with Aisha. Something about mission details or something. Took those crates of tinker bombs you guys brought from Bakuda's."

Greg watched closely as his friend nodded. Neither of them brought up Bakuda's fate. Steve hadn't told him what happened but one look at his face when they got back told Greg all he needed to know. Spend enough time as a villain in a cape city and you see things. See enough of those kinds of things and you either adopt a policy of thinking 'damn, glad that wasn't me' or you go nuts. Whatever Shepard's response to Taylor getting hurt was, it had to have been beyond vicious to get that look from Steve. Greg tossed aside his introspection as he took a closer look at his friend. Something had him thinking hard at the moment but he knew him well enough to have a good idea what it was.

"What about us man? We stickin'?"

Steve didn't look remotely surprised at the question which told him he was right even if his answer surprised him. "I am. I'd understand if you didn't though. Shit's getting deep here."

"That's not going to happen. Uber and Leet man, we're a team. Have been since seventh grade, always will be. Though, I wouldn't mind knowing what has you so dedicated all the sudden. I mean, I know why I want to stay, but that reason doesn't fit you."

His answer got the blond to smile slightly. "You know, despite how they recruited us, they'd let us go if we asked right?"

"Yeah, as long as we didn't interfere in their shit again. Not that we needed more than today to understand what being on the other side of them will be like for us. That's not why I'd stay though. Here we have funding, great tools and workspace. Not to mention all the hella' bad ass shit we're building. I mean dude, we've almost got the hangar set up! I can't wait to start that."

"I hear ya man." Steve nodded to Greg's points before looking more serious. "I've just been thinking about things, you know?"

"Alright, like what?"

"Like Tonic."

Greg blinked. Of all the things his friend could have said, that surprised him the most. "Dude, we agreed never to talk about that again. More specifically, _you_ didn't want to talk about that again. What the hell has you thinking about what happened to Jessica?"

Steve sighed as he looked away. He was quiet for a moment as he twisted the tab on his can until it came free. "It's just, with me treating Taylor, Chatika's sort of made me the team's doctor. Makes sense with the current situation and my power you know? I didn't realize what that meant until my power made me ask her if she knew anything about Taylor's medical history."

"Okay…"

"Well, thing is, that sort of gave me override access to some stuff. Stuff Shepard had buried. Stuff... to do with Taylor."

"Dude, she what? She has cancer or something?"

Steve was silent long enough that Greg found himself worried. He did not attempt to get his friend to open up about whatever it was he found. He waited instead. It seemed to take a very long time before Steve tossed the empty beer can aside and opened a holographic folder in front of them.

He finally started explaining as he moved things around. "Look man, this goes no further than us. I mean that. I'm pretty sure she'd hurt me if she knew I knew this shit."

"Yeah, you know me. It's all good. So, what's the deal? She got like, two months to live or something? She a Case 53? Like, she's really a bug and 'Taylor' is a projection?"

"Taylor was hospitalized January 3rd, this year," Steve said as he interrupted Greg's outlandish theories. "To a mental hospital due to a what the doctors said was a psychotic break down after being trapped in a high school locker for a whole day and night."

The tinker blinked. "Okay, that's fucked up, but I'm not seeing what the deal is. Is she claustrophobic?"

His friend winced as he seemed to gather up his courage to continue. That or he was trying to find a way to stomach what he was about to say. Greg didn't think either bode well. When Steve started explaining again, it was worse than he thought.

"The locker was filled with used feminine hygiene products that had been stewing for all of the prior Christmas break. When Taylor was finally found and let out, she was covered in all that, as well as her own waste, and just about every bug you can think of. Reports state she came out delirious, screaming and fighting as if the Slaughter House Nine were right behind her."

Greg blanched. "_Jesus. _Wait, she fucking triggered in there, didn't she?"

Looking a bit pale himself, Steve nodded. "That would be my guess, yeah. New to her powers, in a situation like that? Shit man, you remember what it was like for us! Yours wasn't that graphic but _mine_? From what little we know of her or her power, I'm willing to bet 'terrified' doesn't even come close to what she was feeling in there. We know she can sense her bugs, she knows things they know. But right then? First taste of it? She wouldn't have understood she owned them. I think it might have been like when mine kicked in and I knew fifty-six ways to stab a guy with a screwdriver to disable but not kill him. I didn't know where that shit came from, but when it hit, that detail didn't matter. Man if it wasn't for you, I'd never have stopped... Anyways, I don't think Taylor would have known shit either. All she would have known was that she was trapped in metal coffin filled with waste while bugs were trying to eat her."

"Mother fucker," Greg whispered, horrified at the mental image.

"Yeah. It gets even better. I'm thinking at some point Taylor mentioned something to Shepard. Not the details because it's obvious he went looking for them. The first file I found was the doctors' report from the hospital. Later, Shepard added police reports, the schools findings, investigations, and his own reports as he looked into what happened and at who he suspected did it. Taylor never saw her attacker, but she had an idea of who it was. Since Shepard linked all that to the hospital file, I was able to open them."

"And?"

"And, nothing."

"What do you mean fucking nothing? Dude, no way that shit happened and no one was put down for it," Greg asked heatedly.

"That is exactly what I'm telling you. All three suspects lawyered up from second one. One of these girls, Emma Barnes, her dad is a big time divorce lawyer. I mean hella connected. The second Emma was questioned about what happened to Taylor, Daddy had one of his friends show up at the school where all three girls went under his protection. The whole thing was scripted.

"The thing everyone avoided is that this shit didn't just happen. Taylor's been getting attacked one way or another for over a year prior to this! Shepard pulled some emails from Taylor's account and tried back tracing them. Mostly from throw away accounts but he found every last one of them came from either Winslow High School, or from the private home of someone who goes there. The oldest was about a month into the start of her freshmen year at Winslow. He even managed to get copies of the files from the school nurse on things Taylor had to deal with before it got to this point.

"The cops didn't have shit to go on. All this stuff was circumstantial. The school had cameras but they were mysteriously blank for that time period. The girls lawyered up. Absolutely no one was willing to step forward to say they saw what happened. Mother. Fucking. No. One. Dude, you know someone had to have seen that shit go down."

Greg look disbelievingly at the reports hovering in front of him. "Lieutenant Lionel Brown. Good detective. Pricey as shit but he's a good guy. Dude's got his flaws but this kind of thing, he wouldn't have let this go. That's not his style, he'd have run this case all the way to court. One way or another."

"Yeah, you'd think that right? He even tried but they fired him a little over a month after this happened."

"Dude, seriously?" Without saying a word, Steve brought up the file that showed his dismissal. Greg shook his head as he tried to process what he was reading. "Investigated and dismissed for looking at porn while on duty? Eunuchs have a higher sex drive than that guy. I mean, yeah, okay the guy likes his comforts but he lives and breaths work. Who the hell bought that shit?"

"Apparently, his Captain did."

Greg shook his head. "Man, I can see why someone would make the effort to railroad Matriarch, but _Taylor_? I mean, when this went down, she wasn't a cape. Who the fuck could she have pissed off that has this kind of pull?"

Steve brought up another file, letting it explain. After reading it twice, Greg turned to him. "Fuck. No wonder you were thinking about Tonic."

Greg took in his friend's countenance. Self loathing, bitterness, disgust, all mingling together underlined by the anger that never stopped burning from those days three years ago. "After what happened to my sister, we know better than anyone what the Protectorate will do to protect its 'image'. If that means covering up a dirty little secret at the expense of an innocent so they can handle things in house, so be it. Just like what happened to Jessica only Taylor apparently didn't have anyone to get payback for her."

Greg frowned as he looked away from his friend. This was all hitting just a bit too close to home for both of them. He remembered those days way too clearly. Steve was pretty much all he had back then. His mom ran off for some druggie years before and his dad never recovered from it. Drank himself into a bitter stupor leaving him to fend for himself. Steve's family became his not long into their friendship. There really wasn't anything he wouldn't do for them. And that was the problem when shit hit the fan.

Greg remembered how angry Steve was when Jessica had been attacked. More clearly he could remember how angry he was that his pseudo-sister was attacked. His own trigger resulted from stressing over how worthless he was that he couldn't do anything to help either of them. Hell, he hadn't even known he'd triggered until Steve caught him dismantling his game system for parts to make a tracker to find the bastard.

Greg couldn't even imagine what reliving this was doing to Steve. His own trigger resulted when they finally did find the fucker and got him alone. Nothing about that night was worth remembering. They buried this shit for a good reason. "What did Shepard do to them?"

"Nothing. The end of his report stated only that 'Command has declined all activity in pursuit of this matter. Mission postponed indefinitely'. Almost all research stopped a couple of weeks ago. Except for the files he added last week on those girls Emma, Madison, and fucking _Sophia._ My guess is Taylor found out he was planning something and told him to leave it alone."

"Okay. So what are_ we _going to do about this?"

"Right now? We do like Shepard. We do nothing. Can't do anything. Taylor needs me here to make sure Mr. Doctor did his job right. If we can't find a healer to fix her arm, she might decide to have you do your thing so you need to be around too. With the way things are looking, we might be the only two to stick when the smoke clears. Did you notice the way Shepard looked when we got back from Bakuda's?"

Greg sighed as he nodded to the point. "Yeah, you had that same look on your face after we got rid of Tonic's body. Do you think he'll go through with it?"

Steve shook his head. "I don't know man. I damn near did. Would have if you hadn't talked some sense into me. I think whether Shepard does is going to depend a lot on Taylor. She's the only one he really listens too."

Greg nodded determinedly before he turned back to the blond sitting across from him. "Okay. So, either way then. We're doing something about this right? You know we can't let this go. Not now. Not after what Shepard found out."

"Oh, we're doing something about this alright." Steve muttered grimly. "Sooner or later, man. One way or another we're going to do something about this."

_XxXExiledXxX_

I groaned in pain. The light of wherever I was penetrated my eyelids in a way that told me I was somewhere bright. I could vaguely hear people talking around me but none of it made sense. Just garbled without meaning. I barely felt someone stick a needle in my arm over the shear riot of every inch of my body reporting its damaged state. Mercifully whatever it was worked fast as the pain started going away. I groaned again but this time in relief before the blackness from which I was nestled a moment ago claimed me again.

When I woke the second time I didn't hurt as much. For which I was thankful. Surprisingly, as I laid in the soft bed taking stock of myself, I realized I didn't hurt at all. Very disoriented but fine. While I wouldn't say I felt bouncy and full of energy, I felt good enough to try opening my eyes for the first time in what felt like a very long time. I almost regretted it as everything spun sickeningly.

"You're awake!"

I groaned at the shrill excited voice of the voice next to me. Whoever it was must have been the one I felt tightly clutching my left hand. I tried reaching for my bugs to get a sense of things but couldn't find any. I did find a literal horde of crabs and lobsters below me. That alone clued me into where I was since I could tell they were swimming around trying to get into the ship. Some where actually _in_ the ship trying to make their way to me for some reason. I kept my eyes closed tight as I groggily tried to put my confusion into words.

"Bugs…"

My voice was scratchy either from disuse or my injuries. I couldn't tell but I knew it didn't sound like me. Still, it was enough to get an explanation from someone at the foot of the bed I was laying in. "Yeah, sorry about that. Had to put them in the ISB when we got you here. They went nuts even before we could get you inside. They kept trying to get to you and the ones that did crawled over you so thickly we couldn't work on you. One of your spiders damn near got me when I tried to check your vitals. Took Greg hours to catch them all. Are you awake enough to send the crabs and other stuff away? Those damn things have found ways into the ship I never would have thought possible and their too big to store."

I nodded very slightly so I didn't aggravate my injuries. Now that he explained I remembered trying to summon more bugs to me during Bakuda's monologue. My power must have been doing that on its own even after I was knocked out. "Vents… old vents…"

"No shit? Thought we sealed all those up."

I shook my head. A breach in the hull where the ship was beached is where they were getting in. How in the hell they figured out how to navigate the maze of venting conduits without me directing them I had no idea, nor was I in any kind of condition to figure it out. Whatever pain killers they were giving me were pretty damn good and they made my head feel funny. Focusing on any one thing took a great deal of effort. Thankfully, my power generally didn't require a lot of concentration.

I willed away the majority of the shellfish that I accidentally summoned. I normally didn't try and control them since they weren't very useful to me but like my bugs, they had a simple brain so they were mine if they were in my range. The others I spread out around our ship. Mostly testing my power but also to help center myself. It mostly worked and my nausea started to finally settle down.

The voice at the foot of the bed could only have been Uber. Or rather, Steve since he wasn't likely to be in costume here. That meant the voice to my left was Dinah. Once I felt up to it I turned to her opening my eyes but instead of smiling I frowned. I was only able to see out of my right eye. I tried to reach up with my free hand to find out why but for some reason my arm wasn't responding. I turned to my right in confusion to find out why, when I saw it. Or rather, I didn't.

"Oh. Fuck."

Dinah squeezed my hand tighter as what happened to me flashed through my mind. "I'm so glad you're awake, Taylor. Everyone's been so worried."

Still staring at where my arm should be I directed my question to Steve who was looking over something on a clipboard. "Did everyone else make it?"

"Yeah. Minor stuff all around. Already took care of thanks to Mr. Doctor."

"Undersiders?" I asked thankful my voice was starting to work properly again.

"Banged up a bit, but nothing that won't heal."

"That's good... Oni Lee? Bakuda?"

If I wasn't watching for it, I probably would have missed his slight hesitation. "Shepard."

I nodded at the wealth of information in that one word. I didn't ask for details. It was a forgone conclusion and not worth getting into right now.

I slowly tore my eyes away from what was left of my bandaged arm to look at the ceiling. I was missing everything from just above my bicep down. What was left was wrapped in a thick gauze, as was my shoulder. I swallowed thickly. The team made it. That was what mattered. Everyone made it. That was all that was important. I pushed away my thoughts of how I was going to be a cape like this, bringing my eyes to Steve.

I looked him up and down. He was dressed in one of the more advanced armored hard suit prototypes we built. It wasn't finished consisting of only a hard vestment that ended at his shoulders. The rest of his outfit was armored plates strapped to vital areas. I also noticed the weapons he was carrying. Before I could ask why he was dressed that way he kept talking. "Let me check a few things and we'll see if the bandages are ready to come off."

I stayed silent only frowning slightly at how surreal this was. Maybe I was hallucinating? Possible I supposed. I felt loopy enough. I looked to where my arm was supposed to be. I hoped I was but even feeling this disconnected from reality I remembered enough to know my condition wasn't likely to change.

"I overloaded the system using both the armor and the shield, didn't I?"

"Yeah. That's what we think happened. Just not enough juice to run both. Greg's still looking into it and thinks we can fix it for the final armor sets."

I nodded quietly as Steve went about doing doctor stuff. Half mumbling and writing things down while reading whatever notes were on the paper. I waited patiently sneaking glances at my right side before refocusing on him. Eventually he looked up and smiled at me. "Look's good. We've run Mr. Doctor ragged the last few days but we got everything we can fixed."

"I've been out days?" I asked not really surprised. Steve answered as he started unwinding the wrappings around my head.

"Yeah, two. You woke up a few times but we had to put you back under. Mr. Doctor does good work but when Leet built it he forgot about putting any kind of anesthesia inducers for it. It'll fix you but it won't care if you are awake for it. I've kept you under during most of the procedures. Didn't think you'd thank me for torturing you in the name of fixing you. Besides, Little Mint would have kicked my ass or had Imp do it. Not fond of either idea, personally."

Dinah giggled as she squeezed my hand. I smiled for her benefit but kept my attention on Steve as he continued. "Your eye should be as good as new, but we'll check that in a bit. Most of your internal injuries are fixed but you're going to be sore as shit for a few days."

"Where is Sebastian now?"

"His workshop." Steve half grunted as he removed the gauze from my eye. "I want you to keep your eyes closed for a sec. Then you can open them, alright?"

I nodded. Steven sprayed them both with some kind of solution. To water them I guess. Dinah dried the excess from my cheeks. After a few moments of blinking I looked blurrily around the room before I felt Dinah put on my glasses. That cleared everything up enough so I could finally see.

I was in one of the rooms we finished but never got around to doing anything with. Most of Leet's tinker stuff was taken out at some point. I guess they decided to make it into an infirmary for me. The walls were still bare and aside from my bed there wasn't much except for the chairs around it. I couldn't see it but I guess Greggory's tinker healing machine was behind me as I could hear it's little beeps and other noises.

"Any double vision? Spots?" I shook my head as he nodded. "Good. I still have to check a few things but if you do let me know before we leave and I'll pull the Optometrist skill set and have a look."

"Where are you going?" I asked jumping on the question. I could tell by the way Dinah and Steve avoided looking at my right side both were trying to avoid the elephant in the room. That was fine by me, I was still trying to process it myself.

Steve hesitated a moment before turning to the open door. I kept my eyes on him until he finally answered me. "We have that _thing_ tomorrow."

"Already?" I asked concerned before I remembered I'd been out a few days.

Steve nodded. "Yeah. It's a long drive and we have to set up without anyone catching us. Assuming we make it that far with all the hardware we're going to be carrying. Considering the target, we'll need the time. Don't worry though, I'm leaving notes on things my power has been telling me and I taught Rorrim how to give you the pain killers Leet and I scored. You're restricted to bed rest until I get back at the earliest."

I shook my head at how weird it was for Uber to give me orders. "How do you plan to enforce them when you won't be here?"

Grinning he tilted his head to Dinah. "Little Mint will keep an eye on you. So will the others. Aisha's around here somewhere and Rorrim's going to be your supply runner if you need things from shore. Chatika's already listed me as acting ships doctor which gives me override capabilities on her systems when it comes to your health. I've already told them what I expect and stuff and Chatika's already stated she's going to be keeping tabs to make sure you don't try and make a break for it. Sorry boss, but your skinny ass is stuck until you're cleared by me."


	44. The Omega Shuffle 12

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.12**

The 'Box Turtle' as it was affectionately called by most who operated it, moved at it's slow easy pace. Even on the well maintained road it was unlikely to exceed the fifty five miles per hour it currently operated at. Largely due to the massive axis under the vehicle. An addition that was necessary to handle the weight from the full two inches of plating that completely covered it. Such reinforcement was necessary considering the type of cargo it generally carried. Dragon was pleased the Protectorate took her suggestions for the design. It reduced brute efficiency by seventy-four percent since it's implementation.

As was her routine during an operation such as this, she took note of the two drivers, Maxwell Chambers and George Briggs. She worked with them before and considered both to be generally professional. According to the on-board computer logs in the transport they made no unscheduled stops and every stop that was made in accordance with the plan that was given to her for this delivery. Again she was pleased. Sometimes humans didn't follow the script exactly to the letter. Something she never understood but had to accept as just their way. Still, it was always a pleasing experience when they did exactly what they said they would do.

The van just entered the last stretch that would eventually take them to the cargo elevator when two things happened. The first to register were several loud hypersonic cracks, followed by both front tires exploding. This caused a half second pause as she processed that action since those tires were specifically reinforced so they _couldn't _be disabled. However, before she could begin to ascertain how it happened, the vehicle slammed to a stop as very heavy metal rims dug into asphalt.

Then her vision momentarily flickered.

In response she diverted a portion of her processing matrix into the glitch while she activated her armored suit. The hulking mechanical construct was as large as two Box Turtles put together, four legged, with a single jet engine on top. On either side of the engine were two shoulder mounted missile launchers, each pre-loaded with four missiles longer than the average human body. One of the standard models not particularly suited to anything but well outfitted for a variety of situations. Every system reported it was ready. She disconnected herself from the Birdcage's systems walking the hulking machine to the cargo elevator preparing to assist the transport that had fallen under attack. The last thing the Protectorate wanted was for Lung to escape.

Again her vision flickered except this time it didn't stop. Everything twisted strangely before snapping back into place only to do it again. A quick application brought her full might to bear on what could only be an intruder in her systems. However, she quickly discovered it was already too late. Systems were powering up or down chaotically. All motor control was lost or derailed. Her suit staggered drunkenly as she desperately tried to assert her dominance to no avail. No matter what she tried the errors kept piling up, until all she could see was static.

Then, for the briefest moment something appeared in the haze. It wasn't quite human, but close. Long silver spun hair flowed from feminine features tucked under some kind of hood like garment. Cybernetics of unknown purpose ran along her neck to behind the long ridged protrusions of cartilage that could only be this persons ears. Its features were angular with a small nose and high cheekbones. What Dragon could see of the strange person's skin, not covered by the unusual suit it was wearing, was greyish. Her three fingered hands clenched into fists as whoever this was stood in the static like snow. The last thing Dragon noticed was the eyes beneath the hood. Steel blue, slitted like a cats and softly luminescent. If the figure had not been snarling in apparent rage, exposing slightly elongated canines, she would have been beautiful.

_"Det kazuat!"_

And then everything went black.

_XxXExiledXxX_

Uber stood next to Leet as they watched the PRT van approach. Taylor finally waking seemed to cheer everyone up but things were still sketchy. The question of whether the team would stay together still seemed to float about the place like a phantom no one wanted to talk about. Shepard might have changed things, kept things together but he seemed unusually focused on finishing up the things they set into motion and pretty much ignored everyone by working in his lab.

His actions didn't help their theories on what he was planning to do.

Not that there was much either his friend or he could do about it. They made their decision, the others would have to do the same. Maybe it was because they'd been in the game longer and were just more used to how things worked. Regardless, there was nothing they could do about any of that now. Maybe things would change by the time they got back after they spent some time with Taylor. She'd mostly recovered thanks to Mr. Doctor and just needed the rest so her body could recover from its ordeal. That would give her time to talk to everyone and figure things out. Maybe set things right.

Uber shook off his thoughts as the van got closer. It was almost time for the show to start.

"Fifty bucks the driver passes out first." Leet wagered breaking the silence that hung between them.

Uber snorted appreciating his friend's attempt to lighten the mood. They both knew you had to take the little joys as they came. "Not gonna happen. Guy's huge! Has to be pushing three hundred. The passenger looks skinnier than Matriarch. No way he's going to outlast tubo."

Leet turned to his friend. Even through the visor of his helmet Uber could see the profiteers look in his eyes. "Prove me wrong. Hundred bucks."

"You're on, man." Uber accepted as he lifted the M-37 Falcon, firmly tucking the stock against his armored shoulder. Leet followed him as both took aim. Just as the tires blew out, they fired.

The canisters launched outward, impacting the PRT van's windshield just as the driver began panicking. No sooner than they impacted the sound of the engine redlining was overwhelmed by a new sound of glass being shattered. Both young men watched intently as glass dust flew into the air in great gouts. It only lasted a few seconds before stopping and being sublimated by the sound of gas being ejected into the cab.

If the people in the van were panicking before, the second that gas started hissing they freaked. Doors opened quickly and both men tumbled outside landing badly from the short drop. Uber watched as Bakuda's knockout juice did its work. He had to give the crazy ex-bomber chick credit, that shit worked fast. It didn't take long before the results were in and Uber started cursing as his horse came in last.

His friend crowed at the sight. "Oh yeah, looks like the good stuff for Ol' Leet tonight!"

The driver's struggles ended as he completely passed out. However, the passenger actually managed to crawl half a body length before he finally gave in to the toxin. Still cursing, Uber reached into his back pocket pulling out his wallet.

"Fucking prick," Uber groused after handing over the bill. He quickly turned away from his friend making his way back to their van.

"I'm gonna love spending your money."

"Buy a sense of humility while you're at it, you lucky fuck."

Still chuckling and not nearly finished celebrating his victory, Leet opened the door waiting until Uber opened the drivers door to continue. "Hey, it's all good man. No hard feelings, good game."

Uber swapped out the canisters in the rifle as he stared hard at his gloating friend. "You done yet?"

"Not quite." Leet stated striking a pose as he basked in his moment. The sound of the elevator rising brought both of their attention back to the business at hand. "I reserve the right to continue this on the drive home."

Uber rolled his eyes not really upset as he took aim at Dragon's emerging form just in case Chatika didn't completely disable her mecha. "You act like we're going to pull this off." So far the cloak Renegade and Leet designed for the their van was holding, which excited him a lot. If this test run kept working as well as it had so far, then it was going to be perfect for when they finally got to build the _Trident._ Renegade okay'd the plans for it and all they needed to do now was to finish retrofitting the sunken ships hold into a small shipyard. They already had it drained and cleaned up, just needed to get a few other things set up and then they'd get to start phase one of Project: Sir Isaac Newton. Supposedly, they would get to do that as soon as Matriarch was back on her feet.

However, one thing he learned from hanging out with Leet, and to an extent Matriarch and Renegade, was you never knew when this shit was going to go wrong so he tried not to get his hopes up too high despite their success so far.

"Double or nothing Dragon explodes after we take her out."

"Man, you are a glutton for punishment." Leet stated as he loaded his own rifle with fresh rounds. "Renegade said Bakuda designed these _specifically_ to disable Dragon so she could get a look at her tech. But hey, it's your money and if you want to give it to me, I'm cool with that. Fire on three?"

Uber nodded undeterred. "Call it."

_XxXExiledXxX_

Renegade nodded as he compacted the heavy anti-material rifle onto his back. The new design worked almost as good as the old one. Well, the old one from his time. There was still the problem with blending metals but between Chatika's research and Leet's enhancements to the fabrications equipment, they were finally bringing that issue to a close.

He watched as the canisters fired by the duo did their work only taking the necessary interest to make sure the driver and passenger were rendered unconscious. He waited to approach the disabled vehicle instead opting to check if Chatika succeeded in her task.

Chatika. Did he ever fuck up there. Even the Council wouldn't have let his mistake stand. Probably would have spaced whatever was left after Alliance Brass was done with him. Tali probably would have killed him. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. He knew he was skirting the edges pretty hard with her program but he figured the shackles and limiters would have kept it from going this far. He did not account for there being another A.I. running around on this planet, much less for them to cross paths. However, what he really didn't account for was the fact that Chatika would not only recognize what Dragon was when they tangled, but somehow steal a portion of her script to analyze. How was he supposed to know Chatika would decide on her own to integrate the superior tech into her core programming? Renegade wondered for a moment how often the rationalization of ignorance was used in times past before shaking his head.

Fact was, he designed her using quarian/geth programing scripts and some of E.D.I.'s advanced emulation programs, as a command nexus for a whole host of independent V.I.s. The idea mostly inspired by Taylor. Or, more precisely, Taylor's powers. It was watching her control her bugs that gave him the idea. Quarian/geth scripts worked perfectly for that and what he remembered of E.D.I.'s scripts worked perfectly for the command nexus. He never intended for them all to merge into one entity, but they did, and now she was his responsibility. Regardless if he didn't mean for her to evolve this far, she did.

Funny how that always works out. Life, any kind of life, always finds a way. All he could do now was make sure she didn't rebel and try to kill them all. Yet, after what she said when he discovered what had happened and he confronted her, he knew this was the right choice. Not every sentient would be willing to give it up for the sake of unit cohesion. It also helped that she understood how humanity, and by extension the other races in the galaxy of his birth, felt about A.I.s based on past history. A.I.s were banned for a damn good reason.

Still, Renegade had to content himself that his luck was better than most and it worked out for E.D.I. She even found love before the end. It gave him hope that with the right guidance, so could Chatika. That didn't mean he wouldn't be watching her closely however. Or at least, Taylor would. Just in case. He doubted this planet would thank him if he accidentally unleashed the new 'Overlord' but if things went the way he figured they would, there wasn't much they could do to him by the time it happened. If it happened.

Renegade sighed to himself as he mused silently. Maybe Joker was right. Maybe he should collect commemorative plates or something. Maybe something with a movie theme? Would certainly be less hazardous to the local population. His eyes turned to where Uber and Leet were supposed to be. His face lightening slightly as he thought about the two. Perhaps not. However, Joker was right about one thing, Renegade did tend to draw very unique personalities into his crews.

The sound of the cargo elevator brought his attention back to the business at hand. With a shake of his head he unhooked the M-100 from his back before spinning the chamber looking for the right munition for the task ahead.

His original plan to disable Dragon involved rebuilding the Cain. One good shot from the tactical nuke would have laid waste to her mech. If not, she'd have been hating life at the least. However it proved unfeasible during the time span they had allotted since it required a great deal of iridium. Iridium, it turns out, wasn't as easy to get on this world as he thought it would be. At least, not in the quantity they would need. Not without taking on a government facility anyways. While possible, it would have been more trouble than it was worth when other avenues could have been explored. Avenues drastically opened by their spoils from Bakuda's workshop.

Each round he eyed was painted with a different Turian glyph. Nothing more than a way for him to easily recognize which did which. He doubted anyone on this planet would recognize the designs for what they were so it was as good a code as any. When he finally found the one labeled, 'Spacial Eruption', he loaded it into the firing chamber and waited. After a moment the elevator rose enough to see the massive mech that was Dragon.

The sound of twin canisters being launched reached him as he took aim. The mech staggered drunkenly as if unsure of which direction it was supposed to go. Dragon seized several times under the arcing electrical storm around her before collapsing inert. From where they were supposed to be waiting he heard Uber yell an obscenity before Leet's loud laughter reached him. Renegade shook his head at their antics not even curious as to what caused it. There was just no telling with those two.

"Mission Accomplished, Commander. Dragon is neutralized and beginning upload procedures. ETA: Nine minutes and forty seconds... Mark."

Renegade deactivated the heavy weapon returning it to the clasp at his back. "Well done. Any problems?"

"Sub Processing matrices Charlie, Echo, and Gamma have been rendered functionless lowering my capabilities by fifteen percent. Imp sustained minor burns putting out Beta Node when it caught fire. She is also distressed that she was 'killed' twice while occupied with the task. However, Vates appeared pleased with Imp's inattention as it gave her an advantage against Imp letting her 'assassinate' her game avatar. Commander, should I infiltrate the host server for Imp as a way to apologize for the interruption?"

Renegade chuckled. "No, Chatika. I'm sure Imp will be fine making due. A simple 'I'm sorry' should work."

"Imp requests that I should…"

Renegade snorted while pulling a small spherical device from his thigh pouch. He tossed to the side of the road before finally making for the PRT van. "I bet she does. Let Imp know that you are not her personal cheating device and she can either play the game right, or not at all."

"Acknowledged Commander. Message relayed. If possible, I would like to discuss the deployment of one or more redundancy servers in the future. Dragon is very strong and I am concerned that next time, she will be ready for our tactics and retaliate more effectively."

"You are saying you got lucky then. Tough fight?"

"Very."

Renegade nodded understandingly. Judging by the integrated tech Chatika stole, Dragon was easily on par with E.D.I. If not possibly a hell of a lot more advanced. He knew if not for the way they laid this trap, Dragon would have eventually burnt out Chatika completely. Especially with the estimated processing power that script suggested. Yet with time working against them, it was a risk they had to take. Besides, Chatika volunteered despite the risks. Payback was a powerful thing. Apparently, even to a synthetic. Though he couldn't say he was surprised really. He was the one to design her programing after all. Even he had to admit he tended to view such things with a certain… prejudice. "I'll look at what you have in mind tomorrow. I'm sure you already have an idea of what you would like."

"I do. Thank you Commander. For… everything."

"Anytime, Chatika." Renegade replied as he activated his omni tool. He quickly brought up the program he needed before using the cutting torch to open the heavy vault like door. "Just remember, if you have questions about anything, ask either Taylor or myself."

"Acknowledged. Thank you again, Commander."

By the time he cut the door free, Uber had brought their escape vehicle over to him. For the moment he ignored them as he pulled the huge door aside, revealing the purpose of their raid.

Two figures were strapped into some kind of strange restraints. Most likely designed to counter their individual powers. The first sat on the right in a metal cage up to his neck in what Leet called 'containment foam'. The man was obviously of asian descent and most likely would have stood over six feet tall had he not been bound so tightly. Tattoos swept up the sides of his neck and behind his ears, into the midst of his wet black hair. The tattoos themselves were red and green flames, and the head of what could have been a lizard or dragon, drawn in an Eastern style. He was glowering, his eyes hidden in shadows, oblivious to the endless spray of mist that sprinklers in the truck's roof were generating.

"_You._" The figure growled hatefully.

"Lung. Hows the twig and giggle berries, Big Guy?" Renegade jovially asked the glowering captive.

Lung merely growled earning a chuckle from Renegade. "That bad eh? I told Matriarch she should have let me kill you that night we broke you. Never been one to leave a man to suffer like that without cause, but honestly, had I known the Protectorate doctors would have screwed up so badly to let your manhood rot off, I would have done it anyways. Still, our information network says you're healing. Might even get to use your equipment again in a month or so yeah? So, no harm done, right?"

"I will _kill _you."

Renegade snorted at the lacking threat. "Do you know how many times I've heard that? And not just recently mind you. From threats a hell of a lot more credible than you. The simple fact is Lung, you are nothing more than a playground bully who got what he had coming. You see, I know your type. I've killed plenty of them. Even worked with a few.

"You are all about power. The haves and have nots. With your ability, you honestly believe you rest at the top of that structure. The ultimate representation of power. An apex predator if you will. Just short of being an Endbringer yourself. Yet, for all your power, regenerative abilities, enhanced strength, indestructible form, you still got your balls cut off by an untested girl in silk costume her first night out. She would have won regardless if I had shown up or not, you know. You were already defeated before I even finished raiding your stash house. You just didn't know it yet. She's grown into so much more since then."

The fuming ex-gang leader glowered at him. "If that is so, then why are you here? You are here for the same reason others have come. The Protectorate, various villains and crime lords. Even C.U.I. You wish me to work for you. To kill for you."

Renegade shook his head. "Trust me Lung, if there was one thing I don't need help with, it's killing people. Something your gang found out not long ago. Besides, I'm not here for you."

Renegade turned to the other prisoner. She was pinned to the shoulders in more of that containment foam the Protectorate loved so much. There was a collar around her neck as well a medieval looking facemask that couldn't have been comfortable. Through the slits he took note of her wide eyes looking surprised when he turned to her.

"Miss Mcabee. Been following your trial since the start. I'm sorry the public reacted the way they did. Damn shame. I'd like to think this could have gone another way, but the truth is you had the deck stacked against you from the start. You were guilty before you even spent your first night in jail. I'm going to remove this mask so you can breath a bit better alright?"

The young woman nodded her head quickly. Renegade climbed into the vehicle and made short work of the buckles before he pulled the mask free. Tendrils of drool extended down from her mouth as she worked her jaw and tongue, trying to swallow properly. She let out a little whimper as sensation returned to the parts of her face that had apparently gone numb. It was a long drive from Brockton Bay to here.

Renegade moved the hair that had fallen over her face to behind her ear. His action making her flinch slightly. After a moment she finally looked at him again noticing the small canister he was holding.

"Purified water." Renegade answered the question in her eyes.

The yellow haired prisoner smiled gratefully as she opened her mouth accepting the cool liquid. Renegade waited until she nodded her head that she was done before putting it away.

"Better?"

"Much, thank you. Why…"

Renegade interrupted her. "Sorry, but time is short. The only question I have for you is this; do you want to get out of here?

"What…"

"In about five minutes Dragon is going to come back. I'm pretty sure she's not going to be happy with any of us for what we did. Now, I've got the only ride out of here. So, do you want to come with us or would you rather go to jail?"

"What? Why? Who would…"

Renegade shook his head. "Yes or no, Miss Mcabee. Like I said, time is an issue."

He wasn't surprised when it only took her a moment to think before she replied. "I really don't want to go to the Birdcage." The bound woman answered desperately. Her eyes darting to Lung before returning to Renegade.

"That is what I wanted to know. Uber?"

"Here."

Renegade took the canister from him turning it to check the glyph. It was the right one. It looked like a can of pepper spray, similar to the ones Taylor carried but what it contained was so much more. "Too bad she didn't make more of these..."

As he set about releasing the contents of the can to neutralize the containment foam, Leet chuckled. "We're lucky she even had some. It's supposed to be a huge PRT secret."

"Used to be." Renegade chuckled as he finished. The foam melted away fairly quickly. Once it was completely dissolved he helped steady the girl before assisting the escapee outside. "Come on, we need to evac. Chatika, time?"

The disembodied synthetic voice startled the staggering girl when she spoke. "Three minutes and twenty seconds."

"We should go." Renegade led the now paroled prisoner to the back of their getaway van while the other two quickly made their way to the front. "Uber, don't even show her the tail lights!"

_XxXExiledXxX_

I sighed.

I'd been trapped in this bed since I woke up the day before. Yesterday wasn't so bad since I was exhausted enough to not really care but today I was just restless. Not to say I didn't need the rest, but with the team in the field I was itching for information. So much could have gone wrong and not knowing was killing me. Did they cover all their bases? Did they miss something? Were there heroes escorting the transport? It'd been hours and hours with no word about anything. The only indication I had that something happened was when the fire alarm went off and I heard Aisha cursing. That was a long time ago.

They could have at least given me a laptop or something to work with. Hell, its not like I lost both my arms, any of my omni tools would have been great just so I could have access to what was happening. Then again they probably thought I would try and escape if they gave me my equipment. Steven even said as much.

Not that they were wrong, but still.

I sighed again. Thanks to my injuries they all were adamant that I was to be confined to this bed until Uber gave me the go ahead to be up and around. Rorrim and Imp especially checked on me frequently to make sure I wasn't trying to make a break for it. So frustrating.

When my door opened showing Uber walking in, I couldn't help but verbally jump on him. "_Well_?"

The cape paused slightly shocked. "Didn't Aisha tell you?"

"NO!"

"Oh goddamn it. Sorry," Steve apologized as he took off his helmet. "I told them to keep you in bed resting and not bother you with shit but I didn't mean they shouldn't tell you what was going on. Believe it or not, it went perfectly. Paige is settling in now."

I leaned back as the tension I'd been feeling all day finally ebbed away. "Thank God. I've been worried all damn day over you guys. Anyone get hurt?"

Uber shook his head while picking up some of the medical instruments he used to check on my progress. "Nope. Well, I guess Dragon did, but no one on our side. We were well cloaked and gone by the time she came back for round two."

"So the Internal Emissions Sink worked with the cloak? No problems?" I questioned knowingly. We only just finished the prototype for testing before the meet with the Undersiders. I wouldn't have even known they were taking it with them if Dinah hadn't tried to reassure me with the probabilities it would work.

"Nope." I nodded relieved as Steve went about checking my vitals and adding his findings to the chart he had. "Worked perfectly to design. We should be able to have a larger scale model ready by the time the _Trident_ is built. That is going to be so fucking cool…"

I smiled at his enthusiasm but I didn't disagree. He was right, it would be cool assuming they actually managed to get the thing off the ground.

I shook my head from those thoughts. That was still a ways down the road from where we were now. "Why are you even keeping a record of this?"

Steve paused in the act writing a note. He gave a shrug in response before continuing. "Helps when I don't have this skill to know what's going on or what I've done. Also leave myself little notes on what to do if I see certain things later."

I blinked at that. It actually made sense. "Well, okay."

He turned to me with a roguish smile on his face. "You should see the crap I have on Greg and me. You have any idea how hard it is to self diagnose some of the shit I've gotten myself into? Don't get me started on Greg. That asshole's done more damage to himself than anyone's ever done to either of us."

I shook my head laughing. "I can't even imagine. So, how am I?"

"Not bad considering you got blown up a few days ago. Aside from the obvious, you're good to go. At least around base. You need at least another week of rest before you're ready to go out as Matriarch again. Assuming we get a fix for the obvious problem with your situation."

"How long before I can go out in a non-combat role?" I asked ignoring what he was dancing around. I couldn't ignore the fact my arm was gone, but everyone else tried like hell to. I honestly didn't know if I should be happy about that or not, but their concern was touching.

"Couple of days if you stick strictly to your bugs. That means no running around and shit. No costume."

I nodded. That was good. At least then I'd be useful and able to do something. If nothing else I could do some scouting or be the lookout. "Alright."

Steve looked up raising an eyebrow. "You're not going to fight me on this?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're the one with the doctor skills. What do I know about this kind of stuff? They didn't cover any of this in my First Aid classes. I'll take my meds and follow along until you green light me. I'd be stupid not too."

The cape smiled self satisfied. "Rorrim, Aisha, or Dinah? To come help you get dressed, cuz I'm not doing it. I like not knowing first hand what a meteor feels at impact."

"Anyone but Aisha." I smiled in response.

"I think Rorrim's got a paper due or something. Dinah it is. I'll send her in." He said as he turned to the door.

"Steve, where is he?"

Steve froze for a moment with his hand still extended to the door. "Man, I really don't want to get in the middle of that, Taylor."

"You know I'll find him sooner or later. He can't avoid me forever."

Steve sighed lowering his head. "...on deck."

"Thank you."

"Just… go easy on him? He's not been the same since you got hurt." Steve asked as he turned to me once more.

"I wouldn't know. He hasn't been in to see me since it happened."

Steve winced but nodded leaving as quickly as he could.

I sighed as I finally started easing myself out of bed. As I waited for Dinah to arrive, I looked at my right side.

For just a moment, I thought about my dad. Things got left on such a bad note but if he saw this, it would crush him. It was bad enough he knew enough to put together who I was in costume, but this? I sighed knowing there was nothing for it. When the time came and I faced him again, after this thing with Coil was done, I'll explain everything so he'll know why it was necessary. While I'm sure he's never going to forgive me for all of this, the things we've done and the things we're doing, I think I know him well enough to think he'll understand why I chose this path.

As for me, this didn't change anything. My power wasn't in my arms or hands. It was in my bugs. I might not be useful in a direct role anymore, but I was already thinking of ways to get around it. This was a setback, nothing more. Once we got organized and put the things we were setting up in to play, everything would fall into place.

But first, I needed to talk to Sebastian. He hasn't been in to see me once that I remember. That wasn't like him and I had a bad feeling about it. As I considered what it could mean, Dinah came in carrying a change of clothes for me and a smile at seeing me well enough to walk around. I returned her smile as I got ready to change cloths. My mind decided as I thought about all the uncertain things going on.

One way or the other, Sebastian and I were finally going to talk and once this was settled, we were going to take this to the next level.


	45. The Omega Shuffle 13

**The Omega Shuffle Story Arc: 5.13**

Everyone except for who I was looking for was in the main room. So far no one noticed I left the infirmary yet so I used it to get a sense of everyone.

Steve and Greg were sitting close together on the far side. Aside from their helmets neither decided to do more than store their weapons from the mission they just returned from. Right now they sat next to each other with their heads lowered going over something on a data pad. No telling what they were up too but I knew they were up to something. Judging by the way they were whispering to each other, they were in disagreement over whatever it was, but they were working it out.

What a pair they were. As I watched them and thought about how they stood with me the other day, I couldn't help but remember that not long ago, we were once on opposite sides. Now, I'd trust them to have my back anytime. Did all capes go through stuff like this? I wondered. Not that it really mattered to me. I wouldn't give up this friendship for anything. Weird as that might have seemed to some people.

I turned from the duo. Rorrim wasn't in costume today. Just a light blouse tucked into her jeans. She was wearing her mask however, which made her the odd one out as nobody else was. The featureless spade covering moved from the book in front of her to the paper she was taking notes on and back. Didn't Steve mention she had a paper due? Must be what she was working on. Still, it was nice of her to be here when she could have done that more easily at her campus library with her friends. Unless Chatika hacked the college's servers which would have meant she had better access here...

I shook my head as I realized I didn't even feel guilty about it. There was another change in my thinking. A month ago the very idea would have upset me. Now, it just seemed so trivial. Besides, if it helped her out, then that was fine by me. She'd earned that at least for helping take care of Dinah when the rest of us were deep into projects neither cape could help with.

At first I wondered where Aisha was until Dinah gave me a soft hug before bolting over to where the girl was sitting. In front of them one of our holographic vid screens showed some kind of racing game involving motorcycles. Dinah reclaimed her seat before taking the offered controller from Aisha and the game started back up. It brought a smile to my face seeing the two of them getting along. Then again, Dinah was hard not to like. The young cape was full of a childlike wonder and innocence that the rest of us seemed to have left behind a long time ago. It was good to see her smiling so freely. Especially after everything that had happened.

Aisha. After only being with us a few days she got a crash course in how bad shit really is in the city. I felt bad about that but from what little we knew of her, it wasn't like she didn't already have an idea. Still, she was here when she could just have easily sided with the Undersiders. Maybe she still would, but at the moment, she was one of us. I didn't really know her very well, but she was good to Dinah, and that went a long way with me.

As my eyes roamed the room I found our newest addition. Paige wasn't really hard to find as she was sitting alone on Sebastian's couch watching everyone else closely. Despite that she still hadn't noticed I was watching her so I took the opportunity presented. I'd seen her pictures before and knew she had feathers mixed with her hair but until now it really didn't click. It wasn't very noticeable really, but just seemed to jump out for some reason. She was older than me by a couple of years I think. Couldn't really tell by looking but I was pretty sure she was. I also noticed someone had taken the time to get her some clothes as she wasn't wearing the prisoner garments I was sure she would have been in when the guys hit her transport to spring her.

I finally moved from my spot making for the couch. Her blue eyes looked shocked when I finally managed to get myself seated on the other side from her. Shocked, and seemingly locked on my missing appendage.

I pushed down the ill feelings that gave me. Instead I tried to smile welcoming as if my injury wasn't a big deal. "Paige, right?"

"I'm sorry!" She blurted in embarrassment. My voice triggering her to tear her eyes off my bandaged shoulder and arm.

I chuckled bitterly though I tried to hide it. "I suppose it's something I'll get used to. No harm done. Settling in alright? I know things are pretty tight right now but I'm sure that by the end of the week we'll have a room ready for you. We had a lot going on recently and just didn't get time yet to put it together. If you have preferences on things you want, let us know and we'll get it since you're not able to go shopping yourself yet. You know, clothing preferences, bath products, whatever. Personal stuff either I or Rorrim can get for you if you're not comfortable asking one of the guys."

"Why are you doing this? I don't know you, any of you yet you guys broke me out of jail! Why? What do you want from me?" Paige asked with no little amount of trepidation.

I tilted my head slightly at her rapid fire questions. From her perspective I easily understood why she asked. I would have had I been in her place. I pushed aside the question of why the others didn't fill her in yet instead answering her as best as I could. "Two reasons. Reason one, I agree with Sebastian that what happened to you was messed up…"

"Wait," Paige cut in. "Who's Sebastian?"

I smiled wryly. Was I the only one he let call him by his given name? "Shepard."

"Oh. Um, sorry…"

"It's alright. Well, while what happened was tragic, the fact is your ex _was_ stalking you. Had your security done it's job right, what happened wouldn't have. But they didn't, and it did. Add to that your power scares the crap out of people. According to our research, Master class capes who can affect humans always do and even before all that went down, you had people calling for your imprisonment or at least your induction into the Protectorate. Still, it shouldn't have come to this. Accidental discharge of parahuman powers in justifiable self defense should have been the right call, but public opinion was well against you before your defense council was even assigned."

Paige blinked before nodding her understanding. "Okay. The second? I mean, don't get me wrong. I am _really_ happy not to be in the Birdcage right now, and I appreciate what you did and what you said. Especially since that was what I was trying to get my attorney to make happen but that really doesn't explain why you went through so much trouble for someone you don't even know."

"You're right. While we might have still done it, there is another reason why we did."

I turned away looking over the back of the couch to where Dinah was. Her game avatar swerved side to side avoiding other bikers as she barreled down some curvy street in the game. Her face full of intense concentration as her arms jerked in tandem to her characters movements.

I tilted my chin in the young cape's direction. "Not sure if you've been introduced to everyone yet, but that is Dinah. Sebastian and I rescued her from a super villain named Coil a bit over a week ago. You could say she is the reason why we're all here."

"The kid? Why would a super villain want her? Did she see something she wasn't supposed to?"

"No. Coil found out she's a powerful thinker. A precog actually. Sees the future through percentages."

"Oh, wow. Okay, but I still don't get how this applies to me. I mean, I never fought a super villain before. I stayed away from the cape scene. Just used my powers to enhance my singing. I mean, if you needed someone to help you fight this guy, why didn't you take Lung?"

I snorted before it turned into a chuckle as I answered her question. "After all the trouble I went through to get him in jail, alive, in the first place? No way. Besides, as Steve would say, Lung is batshit. Completely off his nut. Anyways, we don't need another heavy. Not for what we have planned. What we need is someone to help us gather information on our target so we can find a way for Dinah to be safe. Right now, only Coil knows we have her. To the rest of the city she's just the Mayor's niece who was kidnapped a while ago and disappeared. He wants her for her power, but more important than that, he doesn't want anyone else to know he has her once he does. That is the other reason we choose you. We want you help us stop Coil."

I lowered my voice still watching Dinah play her game. "I don't know if she knows it, but her parents are dead. Coil had them murdered the night she made a break for it. Being around here blocks her power most of the time so it's hard to say if she already knows what Coil did. We haven't brought it up and she hasn't asked us about them since we rescued her so it could go either way. Not sure what her relationship with her uncle is but he's well off enough that when this is settled, she should be alright. If not, she'll still have us. The rest know what happened and we've been trying to keep things light around here for her, but, yeah."

"Oh my god. This guy's willing to go that far to get her?"

I finally turned away from watching Dinah. Paige looked even more shocked than she did when I sat down. "And so much further than that if we don't stop him. To be honest, we don't know a lot, which is why we've been putting this team together. With your power added to ours, we can infiltrate whatever sources we need to find out what we need to know. We might even succeed."

It took a few moments to gather my thoughts before I picked it back up. "Look, I know this is asking a lot from someone who's already gotten a bad hand, so I'll say this. You don't have to do this. We sprung you for it, but we're not going to make you. Think about it and if you decide you don't want any part of this, then we'll understand and look for other capes to help. If that is the case, we'll put some money and supplies in your hands before we drop you off anywhere you want. No questions and no hard feelings.

"If, however, you decide to stay and help, I will say that a lot of what we're likely to do isn't going to be exactly legal."

Paige scoffed. "I was only moments away from being trapped in the Birdcage for the rest of my life when your people rescued me. I was scared out of my mind before Renegade, or Shepard or whoever that was, offered me an out. Existing isn't 'legal' for me anymore."

I nodded to her harsh point. "Yeah. To be honest, as I think about the things we'll be doing in the next few weeks, I'm pretty sure it's all going to be illegal in some fashion. That's going to put us on the outs with the Protectorate. Not that we're not already on the outs with them after the two firefights in town, but still. There's risks. I won't lie to you, this will be dangerous. I lost my arm just a few days ago when the ABB hit us. That was just us trying to get the details of when your transport was running. We're working on making things safer for all of us, but surely you've kept up with stuff before you got locked up. You know what most of the big time villains are like and what they are capable of. Or how far they'll go."

"The main reason why I was so terrified of the Birdcage. All the really horrible villains are in there. No telling what they would have done to me once I was trapped in there." Paige muttered to herself.

I nodded again not having anything to add. Not that there was much to add to her statement. "I know Rorrim's having a hard time with the stuff we're doing and how deep things are. She might decide to leave us. I'm not sure where Aisha stands, but I know that despite everything, Sebastian, Steve, Greg, and I are taking this all the way. We have a plan that we think might work. Even it doesn't work the way we want it too, it's going to make other projects easier so we'll still end up doing it."

"You know, you're really not selling this thing."

I smiled widely. Understatement if there ever was one. "I know. How about I give you the highlights and then you can take some time to decide for yourself what you want to do?"

_XxXExiledXxX_

Steve held the door open for me as I passed through the portal that brought me on deck. I don't know which of them did it, but one of them decided that we needed a place to hang out up top. With the way the ship was resting everything was tilted with the side facing the city several feet higher than the other. At some point they cut a huge section of the deck to level things out. Huge lifts hidden below lowered this section down when it was wanted but otherwise left it looking 'natural' when not in use. If I had to put money on it, I would have said it was Steve and Greg. Those two were always doing stuff like this. Most of the time for no reason other than to 'improve' things.

Still as I stepped foot on deck I couldn't deny it was kinda cool. We were screened from the city but had an awesome view of the ocean. I bet sunrises here would be spectacular.

Steve mumbled something before ducking back through the door. I barely noticed as I laid eyes on Sebastian. He was leaning against the railing, looking out to sea. The day was quite warm though the breeze still carried the last fragments of spring with it. Sebastian stood ignoring it all as he gazed outward, or inward I guess. A cigarette lightly smoking from his frowning mouth let me know his thoughts were centered on something unpleasant. I took a deep breath before walking toward him. I had a good idea what this was about.

"It's funny, you know?" His strong voice stated as I drew closer. "How far things can go in so short a time."

I nodded though I was pretty sure he didn't see it. "I was thinking similar things earlier when Steve let me leave the infirmary."

He didn't continue and I let the silence take over as I tried to get my thoughts in order. Sebastian still hadn't looked at me by the time I broke it. "I think I got Paige up to speed. Not everything in case she decides not to help, but enough to know what we're trying to do."

"That's good. I hope she decides to join. If not, I'm sure Gamble can help you find someone to replace her."

I turned from the view to Sebastian. "I see."

Sebastian winced at my tone. "Taylor…"

"Just like that? You're going to leave us, just like that after all that's happened?"

My questions finally made him turn to me. I made no effort to hide the anger in my eyes as I looked into his wounded ones. "It's not like that Taylor. Being around me, it isn't healthy. Everyone who's ever associated with me, they've paid for it. Some in blood, most in so much more. Look at you! You lost your arm…"

"To _Oni Lee_, not to you! Even knowing the tech armor and the shield would fail, I'd still have done it. I made a deal with Aisha and the Undersiders weren't equipped to deal with that. At least I survived."

"You wouldn't have been there in the first place if you hadn't met me!"

I lowered my voice even as I nodded. "You're right. I'd be dead. If we never had meet, Lung would have killed me."

Sebastian shook his head in disagreement. "You would have gotten away. He was practically finished by the time I got there."

"Do you know why I picked that fight? The real reason." I asked as I stared hard at him. When he remained silent, I continued. "It wasn't just the idea of him killing kids, even if that was my thoughts at the time."

I half turned away to look back at the view as I wrapped my arm around myself. "Time alone in the infirmary looking at my injury gave me a new perspective on things I'd done. That night in particular. I'd been so angry for so long... Did I ever tell you that Emma used to be my best friend? We were, for years. Since second grade actually. She was even my rock when mom died. Then right before we started High School I came back from Summer Camp and she was different. Hanging out with Sophia and basically treating me like shit. I didn't understand it, we were so close and then I somehow became the enemy...

"That night it all just caught up with me. Emma's betrayal, the... locker. Just, everything. When I went out, I had only one thought on my mind. I wanted a fight. I didn't care who, I didn't care what or why, but I was going to get into a fight one way or another. I was going to punish _someone_ for the evil they did. Someone was going to pay for the shit I had to live with."

I ignored my tears as I turned back to Sebastian. "Lung was the perfect target for my anger. I didn't have to hold back, and I didn't. When he jumped on that rooftop to finish me I thought to myself, this was it. I was done. The sad part? It didn't really bother me. A part of me was actually looking forward to it. Going out like that. One final act of defiance. My one strike against the injustice of it all. No more pranks, no more pain. I'd be with mom again. All the shit I lived with, it'd be over. I'd be at peace."

"Taylor…"

I swallowed thickly forcing myself to keep going. "When I said you saved me, I didn't mean from Lung. If it wasn't for you, I'd have suicided by villain. If not Lung, I'd have found someone else to do it. I'd have kept going, kept pushing my limits until someone got me. If not for you, Steve and Greg would still be out there beating up hookers or rampaging through the city doing who knows what. If not for you, Sebastian, Coil would have kidnapped Dinah. Who knows what her fate would have been then. What about Paige? If not for you, she'd most likely be the plaything of whichever villain got her first. Not just once, but for the rest of however long her life lasted since no one has ever escaped the Birdcage."

"At what cost, Taylor? In the last week I've left a trail of bodies through this city that could be stacked eight feet high! Don't you see, I don't belong here! I don't think the way the local power blocs do. I'm not a villain looking for personal gain, just not wired that way. Yet, I'm definitely not a hero either. I wasn't trained to hold back. To capture targets, minimal collateral damage. Just the opposite! What I am is a _soldier_. Trained and sent to level the opposition in the most total way I could possibly engineer. If that meant gunning down the enemy like vorcha storming an entrenched position with heavy mounted turrets until those behind them drown in a sea of blood, so be it."

"Your point?" I fired back. "Of all people, don't you think _I_ know that?"

Sebastian tossed his hands in the air in frustration as he turned away from me. His steps carried him only a little ways before he turned back around. "Look at what following me did to you. You just didn't get hurt, you lost your arm! You're lucky to still be alive, Taylor. All for what? So we can rescue a girl who _might_ help us against Coil? For a plan that we don't even know will work?"

"A price I already said I would pay again for the same results." I returned firmly before I narrowed my eyes at him. "So that's it then. Things went wrong and you're just going to leave."

"Not quite." He replied curtly.

Suddenly things clicked. "So what did you have in mind then?"

Sebastian sighed as he ran his hand through his short hair. He turned away from me walking back to the railing keeping his back to me as he explained. "I'll turn myself in to the Protectorate. Explain what I am and why things spiraled the way they did. It's the only way. Someone has to pay the price for what has happened. If I turn myself in and claim full responsibility, I might be able to get a few concessions from them. Help against Coil, pardons for Paige, Steve, Greg, and you. Panacea to heal your arm. They will have their scapegoat to put on trial and save face while the rest of you can go back to your lives."

"Fuck you." I whispered so quietly it should have been lost the fading daylight around us. I wasn't even sure it was loud enough for him to hear until he turned around stunned. "Fuck you, Sebastian."

"What…"

_"__Liar."_

I ignored the way he flinched as I advanced on him. "With what you know, what you can teach them, you damn well fucking know they won't put you in the Birdcage. They'll lock you up making you give them the secrets to your tech. It's not tinker craft and with your ability to share memories they'll make you give your training to their people.

"Instant engineers able to work Mass Effect Technology at a twenty second century galactic level! Instant soldiers with the knowledge and experience of someone who fought and won a galactic race against extinction! There's no way you'd uplift humanity so drastically and not be be the one in charge to make sure we didn't end up like the krogan. With the way things are right now, that is exactly where we'd end up too! No, once they give you what you want, you plan to kill yourself."

The grim look on his face was all the confirmation I needed as I punched him in the chest with my hand. "You bastard! That was your plan? Fucking off yourself? What about us?"

"Damn it, Taylor. I'm doing this for you! Don't you see, this will make everything right! Steve and Greg can get a clean slate. Paige can get a retrial! Dinah can finally rebuild her life with their help!"

Sebastian sighed as he tried to reason with me again. "Taylor, think about this. Right now we don't have a way fix you that doesn't revolve a mechanical replacement. You can get your arm back. You can go home. Make things right with your dad. Make like none of this ever happened. You'd get to live a normal life and not have to worry about me getting you fucking killed!"

"Bullshit! The second you're gone they're going to come for us with everything they have thinking we know what you denied them! Even if they don't, even if you give them enough to satisfy them, what do you think is going to happen with your tech in the hands of people who treat capes like Shadow Stalker as heroes?"

Sebastian straightened. "I buried that file in my own personal encryption."

"And guess who else on the crew has Spectre Clearance." I scoffed. "I've known Sophia Hess is Shadow Stalker for over a week now. It wasn't hard to figure out once I stumbled across the files you got from Gamble and read your observations from when you were stalking me at Winslow. This just makes my point, Sebastian. I know you well enough to know you'd never give your tech to people like that. No matter what 'moral' high ground they hold."

Once again I closed the distance he kept putting between us. "What about _us,_ Sebastian. What about _me_?"

"Taylor…"

I remained silent as Sebastian struggled to answer. I watched him intently, waiting. Maybe it was all the shit we'd been through. Maybe it was my injury, or maybe it was the realization of what he planned, but I needed to know. I was done lying to myself. I liked him. I liked him _a lot_. I was done not knowing if he felt the same. After an eternity of watching different emotions cross his face he finally seemed to steel himself.

"A relationship with me is a very bad idea, Taylor. Bad things happen to people who get close to me. Marleen wanted nothing to do with me after she saw what I was capable of on Mindoir. Ash died on Virmire and Tali on Earth. Of three women I have been in serious relationships with, the only one to live after it was over was the one who walked away..."

I wasn't going to let him get away with that. I grabbed the back of his head slamming my lips against his. It was nothing like I thought my first kiss would be like. It wasn't sweet or innocent like I heard most first kisses were.

It was so much more.

It was _passionate_. Almost savage as I poured all my pent up feelings into it. For the first moment he stilled, shocked. Then he returned it with an equal vigor that did so much more than steal my breath away. _Holy shit he can kiss..._

I kept my hand securely on his neck as I felt his hands grasp tightly on my hips. My heart slammed in my chest. Everything simply ceased to exist except for Sebastian. His scent, the feel of him against me. I don't know if it was the medicines Steve had me on or what, but I was hyper aware of everything as I held him close to me.

I realized I was slightly trembling when we finally pulled away. Only as small a space between us as necessary in order to speak. I didn't even know my eyes were closed until they opened locking onto his slightly glazed ones.

Sebastian opened his mouth but I silenced him by putting my finger over his lips. I waited until he closed his mouth before I continued. "This is probably going to come out all wrong, but I don't care. I don't care about what happened to them. I'm sorry about what did happen but, I want this. Choice, remember? That is the only thing any of us are responsible for. Our choices. Maybe we don't make it, maybe we do. With the way things are, it's very possible one of us could get hurt again, or worse. The way I see it, that shouldn't stop us from trying. If anything, we should take what we can while we can. However, we're not going to know anything unless we choose to try."

"This is such a bad idea." Sebastian muttered as he lowered his face to my neck.

_OH. Hey! That's, that's really nice…_ My eyes practically popped out of my head when I felt his whiskered lips nuzzle my neck. My breath hitched when I felt him inhale slowly. I swallowed dryly trying to clear my throat to talk but somehow with Sebastian doing_ that_, all the rampant emotions surging through me seemed to triple. "Um, I-I don't k-know. Kinda feels good to me…"

I heard someone snort behind me before I heard the muffled giggle. Both of us froze in place as the realization hit we weren't as alone as we thought we were.

"Oh god…" I mumbled as I tried to burrow my way into Sebastian's chest. Not nearly as embarrassed as I was, he lifted his head from my neck looking over my shoulder chuckling.

"I am going to feed whoever it is behind me to my bugs."

Several different voices laughed around Steve's clear reply. "So totally worth it."

Burning red in embarrassment at being caught, I turned around to find, of course, they were all there watching. The giggle came from Dinah who had both hands over her mouth while squirming in Steve's arms as he tried to hold her back. The laughter came mostly from Steve, Greg and Aisha who were all taking great joy in leering at us. Paige looked amused, but I think that had more to do with everyone else's reactions. As for Rorrim, I really couldn't tell since she was masked.

If anything seeing them staring at us caused my blush to deepen. "I hate you guys."

After a moment more of laughing at us Steve let go of Dinah who wasted no time in latching on to me. I looked down at her seeing her still giggling to herself. I rolled my eyes at her reaction to me kissing Sebastian.

Steve took the initiative and stepped ahead of the group before he addressed Sebastian. "You good now? Copacetic?"

I turned seeing a genuine smile on Sebastian's face as he turned to me. "Yeah. I guess we're good."

Steve nodded before he turned to the others. "So that makes five of us. I know everyone's been thinking about it, but lets get it said and done. Who's in this thing for the long haul? Aisha?"

"Hell yeah."

"What about you Paige? You running with us?"

The bright blond smiled as she nodded. "You guys saved me. I'm in."

Before Steve turned to the last of us, Rorrim was already lowering her mask. Dark chocolate eyes focused on me as her small mouth tucked upward in a smirk. "After everything that's happened I can't see me keeping this up. My name is Sharee Rockford. I would just like to say, you guys are completely insane and if we don't end up in jail over this, I'll be surprised. But, I'm in as long as I can use you guys for my end of term paper."

Most of us laughed before Greg looked to Steve. "Man, you know what this means?"

"It's a tradition between us that after a job where nothing goes wrong, we party." Steve said to me before turning back to Greg. "Hit it man."

Greg raised arm activating his omni tool. Two big speakers raised out of the floor at his entered commands and instantly we were hit with very loud music.

_This ain't a song for the broken hearted._

Just as quickly as the song picked up Greg grabbed Sharee and started dancing. Steve grabbed Dinah before joining in as did Paige and Aisha. I was laughing so hard I probably would have ended up on the floor had it not been for Sebastian holding me.

After a moment to compose myself from the impromptu party the boys sprung on us, I turned to Sebastian. His face looked so much lighter than it did earlier which made me smile wider. I nudged him with my uninjured shoulder to get his attention. "I don't suppose you dance?"

For just a moment he stared at me in absolute horror before he reared back and laughed. Not just any laugh, but a full, all out, roaring laugh that didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon.

I grabbed his unprotesting hand as I dragged him over to the others. Tomorrow we'd most likely be back at it in one way or another but for the moment, we had this.


	46. Skyllian Five 1

**Skyllian Five Story Arc: 6.1**

"...And that was pretty much how we got started." I finished.

"Got..." Annette stuttered.

I looked up from my plate to see the woman across from me looking completely stunned. I smiled halfheartedly. "Uh, yeah. Started. Things sort of took off after that."

"Took off… Dear, I think that needs a bit more of an explanation."

My smile fully formed at her words. I can't say why her reaction amused me so much but it did. "I can imagine it would from your perspective. Well, we had our core intelligence team and everyone was pretty much on board. We had two master class capes, three thinkers, a stranger, and two tinkers. Well, a tinker and an engineer.

"Unlike most of the other groups operating in the bay, we didn't have a steady source of income yet. We weren't running protection rackets, didn't deal in drugs or fence stolen goods. We did rob the hell out of our victims but they were all criminals anyways. So we had a decent stockpile of money. Not that we dipped into it much until this point, as most of our stuff came from what we ripped out of the ships in the Boat Graveyard. Mostly light metals and plastics our drones collected and rendered into omni gel. You should have seen our cargo bay. We had barrels of that stuff stacked to the rafters. Steve almost got buried in them once when he knocked over a stack while goofing off with Greg. You wouldn't think it, but those old cape class ships were the proverbial gold mine for us.

"Anyways, thanks to our dismantling the ABB we easily found a way to plan around that since we were burning through our salvage at an astonishing rate. Actually wasn't that hard to put together thanks to Gamble and it was his idea for the shell company to launder our other liquid assets. That was lucky for us since there was a bunch of things we needed but couldn't make ourselves. Two of our capes couldn't really leave the ship out of costume and they had needs. Not to mention food and other things. Seriously, do you have any idea how much a biotic can pack away when they use their powers regularly? Completely unreal, but even then, Steve and Greg gave him a run for it. Probably a guy thing though the gang made a few comments about my eating habits from time to time."

I shook my head as I toyed with the last of the nachos on my plate. "So busy. We must have been trying to run dozens of projects at once. It wasn't that uncommon to find one of us passed out over one terminal or another."

I looked up as Annette looked around as if making sure no one would hear her. Once she seemed satisfied, Annette leaned into the table toward me. "You know, it's truly unnerving to hear you casually describe the preparations you made to murder someone. The way you talk, it's like it doesn't bother you."

I blinked a bit stunned before I realized that she really didn't understand the kind of life I lived. Even after everything I've told her. "I told you this wasn't a 'nice' story, Annette. This might sound like thin self justification, but we made the hard choices that needed making. We did what needed doing. Coil's ambitions went so much further than just Dinah. Something we found out later on but none of us were really surprised by that point."

The older woman nodded sadly as she leaned back into her chair. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Taylor, but surely you can see where I am coming from. You were so young when this was going on."

I almost replied with had she lived she would have understood easily, but caught myself before I said it. I had to remind myself, this wasn't my mother. She didn't understand, wasn't raised in a world of heroes and villains. Didn't know that this kind of thing didn't just happen, it was actually fairly common in cape cities. Instead, I nodded to her point. "You'd be surprised how fast a person can grow up in a situation like ours. Lessons paid in blood have a tendency to stick with you. Getting a cape education in a city like Brockton Bay pretty much guarantees being alive is the only graduation present you'll ever get."

Annette nodded sadly. "I see that. I'm sorry, please continue."

I took a sip from my tea to calm down as well as gather my thoughts. "Despite how it might look, the plan was never about killing Coil. Though that idea was brought up more than a few times. I think it goes without saying that Sebastian was all for it. No, it was about stopping him from going after Dinah. That was all we wanted. Despite what ended up happening, we weren't looking to take territory or create an empire. Originally the plan was to dig into Coils organization looking for weaknesses we could exploit. Maybe sell the info to his enemies. Like Kaiser."

At Annette's confused look I clarified. "He led Empire Eighty Eight. Our very own Nazi delegation. They were the biggest gang in the city now that the ABB were done. They had over twenty capes and controlled a lot of territory. Mostly on the other side of the city though they had stuff in the Docks too. Pit fighting rings for people and dogs. Some drug warehouses. Stuff like that. Sebastian and I tangled with a few of his non powered people early on but nothing really big or noteworthy. Kaiser and Coil tangled quite a bit over territory in the Downtown area though. Quick skirmishes mostly. Usually done by the time the heroes showed up. We figured if given the opportunity to really hurt Coil, he'd take it.

"That was pretty much the basis for our team. We had Dinah to help narrow things down, Sharee and me for recon, Aisha and Paige for infiltration and information extraction. Steve, Greg, and Sebastian for the toys to work around our powers limits. We actually did a lot of that in the first week when we weren't building stuff or planning the next event."

"The way you're talking there seemed to be almost no repercussions from all the things that happened earlier. Surely the heroes wouldn't have just sat idly by while you were doing all this?"

"Oh, far from it." I agreed. "Despite the fact most of us didn't consider ourselves villains, a good portion of the city did, and from their point of view, they had good reason. The news of our fight with Coil hadn't really died down by the time the news broke over what we did to the ABB. When it came out a few days later that our group was responsible for dropping Dragon and breaking out Paige we were front page news for weeks. Hot topic number one, and not just in the city. Seriously, you want to talk about a _shitstorm_. You couldn't go anywhere in the city without someone whispering about Matriarch and Renegade. It was like we were the boogeyman or something.

"During that time everything we'd done was openly analyzed, commented on, or fought over. Everyone had something to say about the stuff we did. Paige got a huge kick out of the argument over why we left Lung and took her. That argument alone spawned dozens of threads. I didn't realize how many fans she had until she showed me some of the pages, and let me tell you something, she was pretty damn popular before she was thrown in jail. Even the trade with Uber and Leet was a big one for a long time. Especially after it came out they were working for us. When they took their site down, holy crap did that cause a riot on the forums.

"Then there was all the stuff that happened when Sebastian and I were investigating those drug pushers we captured and robbed. All that came out too. It was all really small stuff to me back then but according to the tally brought up on the PHO, we stopped over ten beatings, fifteen muggings, two attempted rapes, four getaways and one hit and run. I don't even remember half of them but the numbers didn't surprise me. That was life in the Docks.

"All that didn't even count for all the stuff Sebastian did before we teamed up. Even if the heroes couldn't prove any of it, a bunch of it was thrown into the ring. We figure the Protectorate leaked most of it to try and keep public reaction negative, but even then it was a split house because, other than the bank robbery, all our targets had been criminals or villains. Of course then there was the fact we robbed just about everyone we came across. That got a lot of mentions. We even robbed the would be muggers."

"You're joking."

"Not at all. Like Sebastian said, we needed resources and I didn't have a problem taking from people who preyed on others. It wasn't like we were using it to finance a vacation home in the Bahamas. It all went right into our cape stuff. Advancing our tech, paying informants, getting supplies, or taking care of our people.

"The PHO almost crashed from people logging in posting theories. People were crying out for the Protectorate to get serious about capturing us or put kill orders on us and such. All that mixed with other people raging back that we were doing the Protectorate's job by cleaning up the city. It was crazy how split everyone was. Paige and Sharee kept up with most of that stuff. Not to say the rest of us didn't keep tabs on the hype, we did. We just didn't really pay it a lot of attention. Well, Steve and Greg threw another party when they found out they'd risen to three hundred and sixteen in the cape rankings. They were really happy about being solid B listers. Still, other than that we didn't pay much attention until this one article that came out in Bay Weekly. You could say it inspired us to take the direction we did."

"That sounds ominous."

I chuckled at her comment. "When that article came out it gave us different ideas for our current course. Better ones. It just required a lot to set up but we were already half way there and the end results would have far exceeded what we originally planned. So, after we talked about it, we switched gears. It was actually Sharee, of all people, who made the best case for it. She figured if the populace was going to inflate our rep to the ridiculous proportions they were, we might as well use it."

"I find myself hesitant to ask what was said."

"To be honest, it wasn't so much the article itself as it was pretty factual about the stuff we did." I stated. Judging by the look Annette was giving me the smirk on my face didn't look the least bit playful. "It was what they called me. You have no idea how much Sebastian got a kick out of that."

"Oh dear. I am probably going to regret asking this, but, what did they call you?"

If I wondered if my face looked feral before, I knew it did when Annette leaned away from me. "They called me, 'The Pirate Queen of Brockton Bay'."

_XxXExiledXxX_

The parking spot she found was well to the back of the lot. Just her luck as she was already running late for work. Once parked she grabbed her purse before quickly getting out of her little car and dashing for the restaurant. As she hurried through the parking lot she couldn't help but shake her head at how packed the place was already. It was only a bit after three!

By the time she managed to get to the time clock, it was already ten after. Worse, the manager was standing there waiting, looking both relieved and panicked at her late entrance.

"Su! Where have you been? You're late!"

A bit out of breath from her short run she quickly punched in. "I'm so sorry Mr. Lin but there was traffic and…"

"Then leave home earlier! If you are scheduled to be here at three, that is when I expect you to be here. Su, are you trying to upset her?"

Su fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I doubt very much that she cares if I am ten minutes late, Mr. Lin."

"And if she does?" The older man asked her with that slight whine of his that drove her nuts. "Please Su, if not for yourself, for the rest of us, be on time! We owe her much and we should not repay her kindness with delinquency!"

Su felt herself shrink a bit as she reached upward touching the scar behind her ear. Thankfully it was small and easily hidden by her long hair but even still, she was always very aware of it's existence. When she brought her eyes back up to her boss she noticed he was rubbing his forearm where a similar scar existed. Su quickly snapped herself out of her inner thoughts before giving the man a weak smile. "Okay. I am sorry Mr. Lin. It won't happen again."

After a moment of staring at her, Mr. Lin nodding his slightly balding head. "You are a good girl, Su. Now please, relive Rin at the podium and tell her we need her to waitress tables five, six and eight."

Su nodded as Mr. Lin limped away. Unconsciously her own hand raised pressing over the bandage on her right side that was hidden under her uniform. She shook her head as she tried to cast aside thoughts of that night. However, it did remind her how much she really didn't want to upset the owner. Even if they never saw her.

Just as she was about to go through the door that would lead her into the restaurant proper, she paused. A cape dressed in a full suit of tinker body armor and practically bristling with weapons rushed into the kitchen. As he talked to one of the cooks about something, Su turned to make sure no one could see him through the little window in the door she stood next to. Thankfully he only stayed a moment before he left the way he came, carrying the plate given to him by the cook.

It was funny the first couple of times it happened. Funny how absolutely no one so much as batted an eyelash at the various heavily armed capes that would appear and disappear into the back stairwell. It was the only time anyone saw them since no one ever saw them enter or leave the building. But it was quickly becoming one of those things you just accepted working here. They owed her, so it really wasn't surprising everyone kept their mouth shut. Besides, you couldn't find a legal job like this in the bay that paid this well. Jobs, any jobs were practically a treasure in the current climate.

_So much better than servicing Lung or the crap Bakuda had most of us doing_. Su thought with a shiver.

She shook off those thoughts. It was over now and they were finally free. She checked again making sure the coast was clear before she finally made her way to the podium where Rin waited for her looking a bit frazzled.

"Hey, sorry I'm late."

A relieved Rin turned to her. "Thank god, I have to pee so bad right now. Please tell me you're taking over?"

Trying not to laugh, Su nodded. "Yeah. Mr. Lin said he needs you to wait on tables five, six, and eight. I'd hurry if I were you, he was looking a kinda stressed when I clocked in."

"When is the man not stressed?" Rin muttered as she rolled her eyes.

Su chuckled. "I don't think he expected us to be so busy so soon after opening."

"Please, we have the freshest, not to mention the lowest prices, on shellfish for the whole Boardwalk. Of course we're busy! Now, I'm gunna go before Mr. Lin catches me and I have to wait even longer to use the bathroom. Have fun!"

Su shook her head at Rins antics but couldn't deny she had a point. However, before she could think on it further a group of well to do teens walked through the doors. Putting on her best smile she welcomed them.

"Hi! Welcome to Skitter's. How many in your party today?"

_XxXExiledXxX_

Sharee frowned while she twirled a strand of her dark hair as she looked away from the monitor to focus again on her textbook. Why did she decide to major in psychology again? She tried to ignore the rumble in her stomach as she turned the page. The reading was beyond dry and did little to keep her attention so it was no surprise that when she heard the heavy footsteps coming up the stairs she immediately turned to it.

"Oh God, please tell me that's crab rangoon? I've been smelling it ever since I got here."

Even helmeted she easily heard Uber snort at her question. "Like I would have risked coming up here without it. Mr. Wong knows one of us has weakness for them and makes them just for us. Pretty sure they're not even on the menu for anyone else."

"Gimmie!"

Uber laughed as he set the plate next to her. Sharee wasted no time grabbing one of the little treasures. "Hmmm. So good. Best idea you guys ever came up with."

"Thank Gamble. Or pass it along through Renegade or Matriarch since they're the only ones to ever see him. It was his idea to run the restaurant as her shell company." Uber suggested as he walked away.

"Best idea ever." Sharee mumbled as she licked her fingers before grabbing a second. "Do we have any jelly?"

"With crab rangoon?"

Sharee turned to the cape seeing his helmet facing her from the middle of the room. "Is that a no?"

For just a moment he stared at her before turning away quietly to open one of the cabinets. He returned handing her an unopened jar. "All I am going to say is, that is disgusting."

"You have no idea what you're missing, Steve." Sharee stated as she made quick work adding a generous dollop to her treat.

"There's something seriously wrong with you, Rorrim. And it's Uber. Come on, that's standard cape etiquette. Look, I'm in my kick ass armor and everything!"

"Very dashing."

Both turned to see Paige coming down the stairs that led from the third floor. She was in her new costume. A deep turquoise cloak fluttered behind her as she descended. The rest was comprised of Matriarchs spidersilk ballistic cloth which hugged the woman's curves like a second skin. Something only really noticeable from the waist up. The rest was hidden by the flowing dress of the same color as her cloak that only showed hints of her legs as she walked.

Uber whistled. "Damn, Siren. That looks so much better on you than it ever did on the mannequin"

"I'm still not sure about the design. Seems kind of risque." Paige muttered as she adjusted the straps on her mask.

"What? Everything's covered with ballistic cloth. How's the fit?"

"Embarrassingly snug just about everywhere. Do I want to know how you got my measurements this close?"

Uber held up his hands. "Hey, whoa now. I worked off the measurements Matriarch gave me. Blame her, not me."

Sharee smiled around her food when she noticed Paige's smirk right before she donned her mask. Continuing with her new theme it was cast similar to Vates but instead of a regal looking woman, Siren's rendition was more sultry.

Finally done chewing, Sharee swallowed. "Have fun at the club. Break a leg!"

"Thanks. Sorry you're on duty tonight." Siren turned to Uber. "Is Leet coming or is it just us?"

Uber shook his head. "He's still way into his tinker shit. Won't leave the workshop until he has it just right. I'm bringing two guys we used in past jobs. We can trust them and we'll all have our helmets on filtering out your singing so we'll be alert to make sure nothing happens."

"Oh. That's good. I was worried about that. Matriarch said Faultline promised to have good security on hand but to be honest, I don't really trust anyone but you guys. It's really nice to finally be able to get out, much less to perform again, but I'm kind of worried about doing it at a villains club."

"Faultline is as good as her word." Uber assured her. "Always has been. I don't think we'll have to worry about tonight. She's not likely to try something when her word is on the line. Much less at her place. Who knows what side she'll be on tomorrow though. Ready?"

Sharee gave her goodbyes to the two again before turning once more to look dispiritedly at her textbook. With sigh at the inevitable she popped the last of her food into her mouth before pulling it to her. She was only a few minutes into reading it before her eyes left the bland pages to focus on the shaving mirror set up in front of her.

Her smile at the distraction soon turned into a frown as she watched her reflection gesture about clearly aggravated. After a few moments listening to her, Sharee sighed as she opened the com line.

"Chatika, can you please tell the asset that the mission was to scout that address and nothing else? They're not suppose to move his stuff around, put his car keys in the trash, and most importantly, they need to stop leaving those creepy little dolls on peoples nightstands! And where the hell did the asset get the cocaine to plant on his coffee table?!"

Sharee waited for a moment before she got a reply. "Message relayed. The asset stated, 'Matriarch wanted these guys to know we know where they live. The dolls are my thing. I'm doing it'."

The cape groaned she allowed her head to fall on the table. She didn't really mind manning the CIC since her power, such as it was, helped keep track of the asset, but seriously, this was almost more trouble than it was worth. It was bad enough that she couldn't remember anything about their operative but then for whoever it was to go off script like this?

"Just…" Sharee sighed as she raised her head. "How many more of these do we have for tonight?"

"Two." Chatika replied promptly.

"Fine, but tell the asset no more of the other stuff. No planting drugs, no moving their stuff around or I'm going to tell Matriarch and let her deal with them!"

"Message relayed. The asset confirms new orders."

"Thank God." Sharee turned back to her reflection. "Did you find out where the other one went?"

Her image nodded before mouthing her explanation to which Sharee nodded since she was the only one who could hear her. "Thanks. Can you check the next location before returning to keep an eye on the asset please?"

With a smile and a jaunty salute, her reflection walked through the side of the mirror and was gone. Sharee looked back up to the monitor. "Okay, send the asset to 1849 Winston Way. That's where the other one went. Hopefully to drop off that package they had earlier. There should be a recycling center…"

_XxXExiledXxX_

I walked out of the old warehouse. My updated costume wasn't quite ready yet so I was in my old one. For effect, I used the one from the ABB firefight. Blood stained shredded silk and all.

Renegade was still across the street waiting for me as I approached. Assault rifle clenched tightly in his hands as his helmet moved taking in everything. "And?"

"I believe her."

Renegade nodded as if he didn't doubt the outcome of the meet. "I suspected something like this for a while."

I sighed. "Kaiser's called for a villain meet to take place in a couple of days to discuss the repercussions of everything that's been going on."

"Interesting."

"To put it mildly."

As I approached the door to our van, it opened allowing me to awkwardly climb in. Vates was still where we asked her to wait, half hidden in the back. As soon as Renegade closed the door she moved up next to me. Renegade started the vehicle putting it in drive while I sat and thought about everything. We were half way to today's parking garage before I had things ordered in my head.

"Chatika."

"Yes Matriarch?"

"Status."

"Imp has returned to base after completing her objectives. However, she failed to file the required reports for her assignments. Rorrim is working on her scholastic assignment while Siren and Uber are still in the field for a half hour more do to traffic. Leet has finished his project and is taking sustenance in the ship's mess."

"Patch us all in."

"Acknowledged. Channel open."

"So guys, guess whose the topic of choice at the next villain meet?"

Reactions were mixed but for the most part all I heard were different chuckles at my comment before Uber piped in. "Why should they be any different? Man, have you seen our coverage lately? Some of these divas just don't like to share the spotlight."

"No joke." Leet muttered.

"How'd it go with your informant, Matriarch?" Rorrim asked after the chuckles died down a bit.

"They're the one who told me about this. Also mentioned where the meet will be. Last chance to back out guys. Once we do this, there's no going back."

Leet broke the silence that followed my statement first. "You still think they're going to come for us? Even after we make our play?"

"Possible. At this point, I don't think we can take much for granted."

"Well," Siren broke in. "According to this omni thingy you guys gave me, Imp got the last detail we needed tonight right?"

Up in driver's seat I heard Renegade snort at her name for his tech. I smiled as I answered. "Yeah, she found the warehouse we were looking for."

"Okay. I'll be the first to say I don't know a lot about this kind of stuff, but from what you guys said, shouldn't the risk of us exposing them be enough to make them back off?"

"Could still go either way." Uber answered. "They might, but to save face, they might not."

I nodded as it echoed my thoughts perfectly. "He's right. This gambit of ours isn't a sure thing and don't forget, we have the cites heroes out for us too."

"Still will even if we don't do this." Leet countered. "Either way we still have both sides after us. We only gain breathing room by trying."

"Agreed," Rorrim broke in for the first time. "I still say this is our best shot. Because of our wins, we have the reputation of someone you just do not fuck with. From an outside perspective, our team took down Lung. Then, we took a chunk out of Coil before finishing off the ABB. Finally, dropped Dragon, of all damn capes, like a newb leaving her spanked and squealing while we took what we wanted and left. Seriously, half the game of capes is based on rep. Yeah, we're risking someone coming after us to make a name for themselves, but right now, in the city with the villains currently here, we're players. Used right, half our enemies won't try to attack us in fear we'll do to them what we've done to everyone else whose tried. The other half won't either because that will leave them vulnerable to their enemies even if they did manage to get us."

Over the comm I heard everyone pretty much agreeing with her. It was a very compelling argument, I had to admit. One I desperately wanted to believe in. I wasn't kidding them when I mentioned the heroes were gunning for us. Our only saving grace was we hadn't been active in the sense of being out and about in costume since the guys saved Siren. At least, Renegade and I haven't been and other than Uber and Leet, we were the most recognizable capes in the squad.

I looked to the front of the van where Renegade was. "You're quiet. Thoughts?"

I heard him sigh. "I agree with Rorrim. It's our best bet for breathing room. However, if this backfires, I will say that it's going to get very dangerous." Even with his helmet on I knew he was looking right at me through the rear view mirror. "For everyone."

I nodded letting him know I got the underlining message. He was worried. Then again, so was I. "Okay. Looks like we're doing this. We have two days to finish up our preparations."

"And then," Uber stated using the most overblown, over acted, diabolical voice he could. "We'll take over the City!"

Even over everyone's laughter I still heard Leets comment. "Dude, you are so banned from watching T.V. ever again."

***Authors Note:

Materia Blade, MarkerIV, Suryn, and TheBSdude, my betas and the people mostly responsible for keeping my fic readable. Thanks guys!

The lack of any reviews leaves me wondering if anyone is enjoying the story, but I hope they are. Sadly, unlike on SB, there is no like button per chapter to let me know that people enjoyed the chapter. I noticed by the traffic people are reading though. I'll let everyone know again, I appreciate reviews and wouldn't mind seeing a few from time to time to let me know what the readership thinks of the story. Until then, I can only hope people are enjoying it, and in the last two days I've posted a lot of content to enjoy with still lots more to come.


	47. Skyllian Five 2

**Skyllian Five Story Arc: 6.2**

To say the place was nondescript was like saying Renegade was slightly dangerous. The place where the meet was set was pretty much just a hole in the wall in the midst of a long street of hole in the wall businesses. I wouldn't go so far as to say the entire area was run down but… it was run down. You couldn't tell just by looking if any of these places were even open or not. Unfortunately there were a lot of places like this in the city. A sad fate for what I sure was once a bustling string of businesses back in the day when the bay was open.

The particular business that interested us though was a pub. A sign on it proclaimed it was called 'Somer's Rock'. There were iron bars on the windows and the curtains were drawn, but it would have been more unusual if that wasn't the case. It was that kind of area. The paint on the outside was peeling, and the rust from the bars had bled onto the gray-white paint below the windows.

The four of us stood waiting across the street in an alley. For the moment we were just watching the place. So far we were the first to arrive and I was debating if we should just go ahead and walk in, or if we should make an impression after everyone else arrived.

Both had their upsides but in the end, we did come to make an impression. Renegade stood next to me in his updated armor. It was one of the first ones we started making, even if it was the second to last to get done. Not the design he originally wanted but _that _armor was proving to be difficult to put together.

Sebastian out of armor wasn't someone you could call scrawny. As Renegade, in this armor, he was huge. Hard planes and overlapping armored plates all run through with softly pulsing red lines, like veins. 'Terminus Armor' he called it. It was just one step short of what he wore at the end. If we didn't have the history we did, I'd have been scared to run into him in a dark alley.

Behind us was Uber and Leet. Both of them wore their new armor suits as well. Leet's bulked him up quite a bit. Where Renegade went with a look that made no bones about what he was there to do, Leet went differently with his design. While bulky, it also had several armored pouches along the waist to hold his tinker things, explosives, and a few other surprises. Uber on the other hand, went the exact opposite. His armor was build more for flexibility and speed. With his ability to switch through different skill mastery's, it made sense.

That wasn't to say all of our suits were not up to snuff. The exact opposite. We poured everything into these things. Between Leet's tinker craft and my spider silk we managed to create a superb substitute to what Sebastian called, ballistic cloth. Not only was the softest parts of any of our armor able to stop a bullet, or a moderate explosion now, with ease but every suit could be sealed airtight. Thanks to Renegade we even managed to get our omni tools built into the suits. Kinetic barrier systems, tech armor, and paladin shields, now that the power issue's been solved. Personalized loadouts for tech attacks, omni blades, turrets, and drones. On top of that each of us carried our knife, pistol, sub-machine pistol, shotgun, and an assault rifle. Renegade even carried the M-100 while Leet carried his newest creation: a compacted portable heavy machine turret. I was carrying the Instant Swarm Box and we had it loaded.

None of this even included our powers. I took a deep breath as I tried to steel my nerves. Yeah, it was safe to say we came to make an impression. It remained to be seen if it would work. A lot of what was coming was on me and even though I wouldn't say it out loud, I was worried. All it would take was one mistake. Just one slip, and this whole thing would come crashing down on us. The rope I had to walk wasn't just narrow, it was practically invisible.

I dry swallowed as I once again looked at my right side. Even though it was hidden under my own armor I could see the non reflective gunmetal black finish of my new arm. I moved my hand so my palm was up as I rolled my fingers. The miniature motorized joints moving seamlessly to my thoughts showing no delay that I could see. Aside from the fact it was a construct, it worked just like my old one. But it wasn't, and I knew that. Some part of me was always very aware that it was an artificial limb. Though I guess I'd get used to it in time. I'd only had it a day now.

Ubers words broke me from my inner thoughts. "Any pain?"

"No. It's fine."

"Seriously, you need to let me know…"

I turned to him. He couldn't see my face with my helmet on, so I tried to convey my gratitude through my voice. "It's okay. Really. You guy's did good."

"Sorry…"

I shook my head before I turned away. "No, you did good Uber. You too Leet. Thank you."

I didn't need to see his face to know the look he was wearing. Same one he wore since my surgery. That was beyond rough, on both of us. Uber had to hold that skill for almost two hours. The toll on him was readily apparent when he passed out right afterward for almost fifteen hours. We didn't even know if he was going to wake up for this. As for me, it was beyond excruciating, but I got through it. I couldn't take painkillers during the procedure because of how they would have interfered with the grafts. All I could do was grit my teeth while Uber attached the cybernetic shunts to each and every nerve of my arm to the new limb. It went without saying it was an unpleasant experience for both of us.

It did change things slightly though. One of those things was my armor design. Originally we were going to go with a more tech version of my costume, but with my arm and the new direction we were going, we made a few changes. Both shoulder guards were enlarged slightly in order to disguise the fact I had an artificial arm. To help with this I decided to add a dark hood. It fell to just above the lens of my helmet while being draped over my shoulders falling about mid way down my back. All of it snapped in place so it didn't float or flop around when I was active. Sadly, I had to sacrifice my one vanity for this look; my hair. While I always prided myself on my hair as the one feminine feature I possessed, it didn't work for what we were trying to do. The hood also helped to disguise the fact the back of my helmet was slightly bulkier than it should have been thanks to how long my hair actually was. Besides, Renegade hated that there was a part of my costume that wasn't protected by something. This took that out of the equation.

As for the rest of my armor, it didn't really look like armor. Yet, that was deceiving. My left arm was bulked slightly to be inline with my artificial one and both covered by another layer. My leg armor was designed similarly with protections over vital areas while looking like nothing more than a tight suit. The rest of it was kind of like a feminine version of Ubers aside from my helmet. I didn't comment on just how it accentuated assets I didn't really have as that was sort of the look we were going for. Where Uber had a solid piece, I kept my gold lens goggle look and mandible design although it came out looking slightly like a gas mask. The whole effect gave me a more mysterious and intimidating look for only a negligible drop in the defensive value compared to the guys.

Still, when it was all said and done, there were four power armored people standing in a dark alley waiting for the city's top villains to arrive with enough powers, tech, and weapons to start a war.

Or finish one.

"We're right here. You can do this." Renegade encouraged me.

I nodded grateful for the words. "I hope so. If I screw this up…"

"Then we're no better off than we were before." Leet stated unconcerned.

Uber nodded. "Seriously Matriarch. We can only win here."

"Don't forget," Renegade continued. "While these might be the biggest of the city's big, they called this meet because _they_ are scared of _us_. By calling this meet they have admitted freely that they cannot take us on their own without risking their own empires. The goal isn't to stop them from coming after us, but to stop them from doing so united. If we prey on their self interest, and general distrust of each other, we've won. As long as we manage that, then we are in a better position than we are now. If it looks like that isn't working, there is also the other thing we can spring on them."

"I know. I remember. Just trying to channel my inner Aria here." That got a few chuckles which helped me a bit. Even from Leet who didn't know who she was but was probably just going with the implied concept.

Uber though scoffed. "We hooked you up for that."

Up until he reminded me I had successfully ignored that part of our ruse. Just thinking about what I let them talk me into made my eye twitch. "I swear if this doesn't wear off, I'm feeding you to the crabs we're storing for Skitters."

"Hey, it's good tech. Okay, I'll grant you it's not Renegades tech, but it's still good tech. We have done this kind of thing before you know. Have a little faith."

It was my turn to scoff. "So not helping. This had better wear off by tomorrow."

"It will. No worries."

"I am somehow _still_ not comforted."

I let our banter and Renegades words wash over me. It helped a great deal as I went over the details I needed and mentally prepared myself for the coming confrontation. As the time of the meet grew closer it helped me settle into the head space I needed to be in.

We had arrived far earlier than we needed to be just to make sure this wasn't a trap. Not that we doubted our informant. We just didn't trust the other villains. Since we arrived so early I had plenty of time to set myself right as well as catch the first of the arriving villains.

So happens, it was the Undersiders. Grue led Regent and Bitch following along with Tattletale. No dogs this time which surprised me but it probably shouldn't have. They were pretty obvious and this thing was supposed to be low key. We watched silently as the foursome walked into the pub without so much as a glance around.

Kaiser was next to show. Dressed in armor head to toe, topped off with an intricate crown of blades. He walked boldly with a woman on each arm. Platinum blonds with measurements that would have made playboy bunnies envious. What I could see around their closed faced helmets confirmed that they were probably twins. Both were dressed like Valkyries. All countless little steel wings and armor that showed as much skin as it protected. My tactical HUD labeled them as Fenja and Menja. Not that I needed help placing their names. Both were pretty well known Empire capes. It was probably because they were twins but both of them had similar powers. If what I recalled from the wiki was right, they could enlarge to over three stories tall and were a hundred times more durable than they were normally. Following behind them were two others labeled Krieg and Hookwolf. Had to say, Kaiser liked his heavy hitters.

This wasn't even Kaisers whole team. If the latest numbers on the wiki were right, he had at least another twelve parahumans at his beck and call which gave him the most raw parahuman muscle in the city. Something he obviously knew judging by the way he sauntered into the pub.

I turned from watching them enter to notice Coil make his appearance. The most surprising thing was he came alone. No backup, no show of force. Like he either didn't need them, or didn't need to flaunt it. I wanted to sigh but restrained myself. He was confident, I had to give him that.

This was the first time I personally saw him. His black costume was so skin tight he looked almost skeletal. Even from where I was standing I could see his ribs along his sides as he strode to the door. No holes for his eyes, nose, or mouth either. Really the only thing adorning it was the snake motif. The head of the serpent rested about where I thought his forehead would be. The body coiled around him from his neck all the way along his body ending down along his left leg. Like the others he walked in easily.

Faultline came in from the opposite direction everyone else had. She was twenty-something, and her straight black hair was in a long bristling ponytail. Her costume was weird, approximating something like a blend of riot gear, a martial arts uniform, and a dress.

I knew only a bit more than what the wiki told me from my meeting with her setting up Sirens performance at her club. The bay's very own mercenary captain and leader of her own merc company. Rumor had it she'd do just about anything short of murder. When I met with her I had yet to find out about this meet. My idea at the time was to try and talk, or more likely bribe, her into staying out of things. Siren offering to perform at her place was my in but we hadn't yet gotten to the point of actually sitting down and talking about any of that yet. The one meeting we had just covered the performance and issues both of us had with Siren being there. That, and each others cut of the profits. Considering what we walked away with, I hoped she was happy with how it all worked out. Depending on how things went today, I'd probably have my answer.

She brought four people with her. The two guys in the group were instantly the weirdest people I ever saw. I knew them by name even without Chatika supplying them. Newter wasn't wearing a shirt, shoes or gloves, which made it all the more apparent that his skin was neon orange from head to toe. He had light blue eyes, dark red hair that looked wet and a five foot long prehensile tail. Gregor the Snail was morbidly obese, average height, with no hair on his entire body. Guy barely fit through the door. His skin was milky white and slightly translucent. It was especially noticeable in the sunlight above us so you could see shadows beneath where his organs were. Like someone else might have bad acne, he had bits of shell or scales crusting his skin. They looked almost like barnacles, but there was a spiral shape to them.

The most shocking thing was both had matching tattoos. Newter's was just above his heart, while Gregor's was on his upper arm. It looked like the greek 'Omega' symbol, but upside down. Maybe a stylized 'u'. I turned to Renegade in surprise to see him looking where I was a moment go.

"Later."

I nodded but couldn't help myself from saying it anyways. "Those look identical too…"

"I know." Renegade interrupted me. "Can't lose focus. We'll look into it later."

I took a deep breath nodding. He was right. We had too much riding on this to mess it up. I returned my focus to the last of Faultline's party. The two girls were very normal by contrast but I didn't recognize either of them right off. Chatika did though. Labyrinth wore a dark green robe and mask with lines all over them. The other was Spitfire. She wore a red and black costume with a gas mask.

"Alright. Let's go." I stated finally moving us to the building. The others following me easily as we crossed the street and finally entered the pub.

The second Uber and Leet entered what little noise coming from the people inside started to taper off. When I walked in with Renegade only a step behind me, it died. Fast.

Despite thinking I shouldn't judge a book by its cover -seriously look at our hideout at the Boat Graveyard- the inside proved to be just as dingy as the out. The wood floor was stained the same dark gray as the counter of the bar, the curtains and tablecloths were dark green, and the only real color or brightness, if you could call it that, was the yellow light cast by ancient, burnt light bulbs.

Several tables were set together creating a somewhat haphazard long table. Kaiser sat at one end with Coil at the other. Grue sat somewhat in the middle closer to Coil while Faultline was seated closer to Kaiser on the same side. That left one whole side unoccupied even though there were several chairs. The villains who came with their respective bosses were seated in the booths with only Kaisers close to their leader. Of the people in the room, there were only three who weren't villains. Twin guys behind the bar and a sullen looking girl who looked less than happy at her clientele.

I turned just enough to indicate I was looking to Uber before slightly lilting my head to the side. Without a word both Uber and Leet separated from us taking standing positions against the wall I indicated. No one so much as said a word as I walked forward uninvited to the table. Without having to ask, Renegade pulled out one of the chairs on the unoccupied side. I took the offered seat without any indication that I expected less. Nor did I acknowledge in any way it was odd that Renegade took position behind me on my left standing at a ridge posture with his hands clasp behind his back.

It went without saying, we were the center of attention as all eyes were locked on us. The girl was the first to do anything. She walked toward me placing a pad of paper on the table next to me glaring holes into the side of my helmet the entire time. I didn't even look at her.

Renegade broke the all consuming silence our arrival cast over the room. "Tea, Matriarch?"

"Tea would be lovely."

"Cream? Sugar?" Renegade asked me with a deference to make any henchmen proud.

"No thank you, Renegade." I answered trying to sound as bored as I could. "I'm sweet enough."

Out of the corner of my visor I noticed Renegade make a few gestures to the surprise of the waitress. She replied only with a nod before reclaiming her pad and walking away. My main focus was on the villains in the room. Every one of those seated were likewise focused on me. Most likely trying to get a read on me as much as I tried to read them. Unlike them though, I was cheating.

Within my visor I watched as Chatika did her thing analyzing the body postures of everyone in front of me as only an A.I. could. While Renegade knew how to read people, I didn't, and I was the one in the spotlight right now so I was thankful for every edge I could get. She broke everything down to a simple description under each villains label. While a bit distracting, I wasn't complaining. Far from it. Besides, she was linked deep enough into our on-board systems that if this went south, the H.U.D would switch out for the combat model.

While I read the readouts and waited for my tea, another group entered the pub behind me. Chatika quickly brought up a small window in my visor linked to Uber or Leets optics so I could see who it was without turning around and ruining the image I was building.

It was like you could see a wave of distaste wash over the faces at the table. I had seen references on the web and news articles about these guys, but they weren't the sort you took pictures of for keepsakes. Skidmark, Moist, Squealer. Two guys and a girl, the lot of them proving that capes weren't necessarily attractive, successful or immune to the influences of substance abuse. Hardcore addicts and dealers who happened to have superpowers. Skidmark wore a mask that covered the top half of his face. The lower half was dark skinned, with badly chapped lips and teeth that looked more like shelled pistachio nuts than anything else. Moist and Squealer started for one of the booths while Skidmark stepped up to the table reaching for the chair next to me.

At least, that was what he was trying to do before the chair, for no obvious reason anyone could see, violently crumbled into a pile of broken wood. The sudden noise caused every single person at the table, other than myself since I expected it thanks to hearing Renegade snort, to flinch. Personally, I wouldn't have noticed them doing it, and I was looking, but Chatika did.

"The fuck?" Skidmark snarled.

"You will sit in a booth." Kaiser stated calmly. Slowly as if he was talking to a small child. Even still, it was threatening.

"What the fuck? This because I'm black, ain't it? That you's whole thing right?"

Kaiser replied in that same tone of his. "You will sit in a booth because you have done nothing to earn a seat at this table. You and your team are pathetic wastes of power that are not worth talking too. The other people at this table? I don't like them, but I will listen to them. That is not the case with you."

"Fuck you! What about that guy? I ain't never heard of him and he's sitting." Skidmark retorted before turning to me. "Or this bitch."

I made no move to indicate I heard him. Still sitting placidly with my hands folded in my lap, facing the others. Renegade turned slightly to Skidmark, but otherwise didn't make any other moves. It was actually Faultline who spoke up next.

"First of all, Grue's team hit Brockton Bay Central Bank. Not just hit, but hit and got away clean. Granted he was working with Matriarch at the time…"

"Actually," I interrupted. "My contract with the Undersiders was merely to ensure their getaway should the heroes arrive in greater numbers than expected. You could say my involvement was nothing more than as a 'trouble shooter for hire'. Despite how it has been portrayed, that operation has always been an Undersider venture. Had the Wards shown in lesser numbers, my involvement would have been negligible."

Faultline turned to Grue for confirmation. Regardless to his own surprise at my words, he still nodded confidently as if he expected it. My estimation of Grue actually rose a bit seeing that. He was cool headed, had to give it to him. Question resolved, Faultline looked back to Skidmark and continued. "That achievement alone earns him a seat. Especially since no one has ever managed what his team did. What have _you_ done to earn a seat at this table?"

"We hold territory..."

"You hold nothing." Grue argued. "What you call territory is nothing more than the scraps and discards no one else wants. You hold garbage where you make your money pushing drugs to kids."

"We sell to _anyone_…"

"Find a booth." Grue interrupted him again.

"Fucking pussy. What about _her_?"

"_I_ broke the ABB and took from it what I wanted. Ah, thank you Renegade." The waitress had returned unnoticed thanks to Skidmarks drama. Renegade took the steaming drink from her which allowed the girl to return to the safety of the bar and away from the villains she didn't want in her place to begin with. Once again everyone's attention was centered on me as I casually accepted the cup from Renegade.

If they were speechless before, it was doubly so when the mandibles on my helmet parted. I watched their reactions to seeing my deep sapphire blue skin and slightly purple lips as I slowly raised the cup to take a sip. It was extremely obvious that it wasn't paint or makeup of any kind. As weird as it was, it was too natural. Which was true since I wasn't wearing any makeup except for the blood red stripe that ran from the center of my bottom lip to just above my chin.. I just hope that whatever it was Uber used to change my skin tone really went away by tomorrow as promised. If it didn't, he was _so_ getting fed to the crabs.

Misdirection. That was the goal. Keep them off center with unexpected things. Keep them guessing. This seemed like a small thing when Renegade brought it up yesterday, but seeing the impact it was having on those at the table, I had to finally agree the idea had merit.

"Perfect. Thank her for me."

"Of course, Matriarch."

Aside from my comment I went back to ignoring the villain behind me. My antics seemed to take the fight out of him as he turned away cursing to himself heading over to the booth where Moist and Squealer were sitting.

Coil was the first to address me directly. "You seem to be unaware of the rules for these types of meetings. A costly mistake not many live to learn from."

"No powers, no fighting, no trying to bait others into a fight or to cause trouble. To do so usually has everyone else in the room joining together to put the offender down." Grue explained. "It's important we have neutral ground to meet to discuss things in a civilized manner."

I gave a small nod to Grue once he finished. "Leet."

Having a good idea what I wanted, Leet reached into one of the many pockets in his armor pulling out a small roll of money which he took to the waitress. "Compensation for the chair and Renegade will behave. You could say we've been nomadic until recently. I was unaware of the rules of engagement for such an event."

"I am sure I am not the only one surprised you are here at all. We were unsure how to find you to make you aware of the need to discuss the current situation." Coil smoothly stated.

"Really? I've had no problem finding _you._" The only indication my remark hit home was a slight stiffening of his posture. I smirked.

The obvious by play was missed by no one. Kaiser, obviously enjoying it, spoke next. "Shall we get to the heart of the matter then?"

No one objected and once again everyone focused on me as Kaiser leaned forward steeping his armored fingers. "This situation has become very inconvenient as well as a concern. Firefights of the level and lethality you have displayed recently has caused widespread reactions in both the Protectorate and civilian sectors. There is talk of Homeland security as well as an infusion of military personnel being dispatched. Hero's are flocking to the city even as we discuss this to bolster the Protectorates ranks in hopes of regaining control of the situation. The attention is forcing us to moderate our business dealings far more than necessary."

Coil leaned in to add his own two cents. "In short your, activities, have drawn far too much attention to our fair city. You have been reckless and it has cost us all more than time and money."

"There seems to be a misconception as to the exact nature of my organization. Understandable, I suppose. Perhaps I should clarify? A few small matters aside, we have no interest in any of you or your operations. Nor do we particularly care about the cities hero population. If it helps, you can consider us to be a 'rogue state' within the status quo. Now that I have what I want from the ABB, I am perfectly content to manage my new affairs."

"It was your war with the ABB that created this situation." Kaiser pointed out disinterestedly. I could tell even without Chatika's help that he really didn't care about the ABB's fate. Just that it was inconveniencing him.

"That, gentleman, was not a war." I said just as calmly as Kaiser as I took a sip from my tea. "It was an execution. Very precise, very deliberate. Overall, I was rather pleased with how our operations went. Very little bloodshed considering Bakuda's tactics."

Grue actually stepped in to explain. "Bakuda implanted bombs into the heads of all her people. Then had them go out and kidnap others so she could do the same to them. Their families too. While I do not agree with Matriarchs tactics, or her response to the attack, I will say that had Bakuda not been dealt with there is no telling how far she would have gone. With what amounts to endless suicide bombers at her disposal, she could have easily ruined any one of us. No telling what kind of damage the insane bitch could have done to the city or what the heroes reaction would have been when they found out."

"An issue that has almost been rectified. My people have removed the majority of the explosives she implanted from the survivors."

Kaiser's metallic head turned to me. "Which, I am sure, they have shown their gratitude for."

I smirked at the implication. "They have shown themselves to be most… appreciative of my efforts on their behalf. I will not deny that I am pleased by the outcome."

"Regardless." Coil stated as he once again took center stage. "The fact remains you provoked the ABB into that fight by neutralizing Lung. Then once you had your fight, you left several scenes of destruction that has forced the Protectorate to call in favors to deal with the villain problem in the city. Sadly, we have already reached the point of no return. Someone is going to have to answer for the issues we currently face. It is the only way to appease the Protectorate as well as deescalate the situation."

"I see. I take it you are suggesting a, sacrifice, is in order?"

Coil didn't reply, merely leaning back into his chair as if the silence was answer enough. From what I could tell Faultline was indifferent, Grue divided, while Kaiser appeared to be thinking of how he could turn this whole thing to his ultimate advantage.

"Roberts and Athlone."

Everyone turned when Skidmark practically leaped out of his seat.

"Twenty Second and Park Drive."

The sound of metal grinding brought everyone's attention to Kaiser. Or, more precisely, to his clenched fist. For both of those I made no movements, but for this one, I turned directly to Coil. "Martin Luther King and Industrial Court."

As expected, all eyes noticed Coils posture go positively ridged.

"Now," I casually explained. "I have just listed three places of significant interest to three people. What those interests are, I will not say. I will only say that at this moment two thirds of this triad have gained something that I am quite sure the last of the third would have truly rather they didn't. Keeping in mind that I know many secrets, gentlemen, 'sacrificing' me so your businesses can flourish, is not an option I am willing to accept."

"What is to stop us from taking that choice from you." Coil asked calmly but even without Chatika, I could hear the hostility in the man for me.

"There is a wonderful little acronym that is very appropriate to this situation. M.A.D. Mutually. Assured. Destruction." I leaned forward setting my cup down as I addressed the table. "Let me be blunt. If you insist on punishing me for being effective, then be prepared for the consequences. I assure you, no matter the outcome, I will not go quietly into that good night. Nor will I go alone."

Kaiser scoffed at me. "Be realistic. While I will give you credit for dispatching Bakuda, Oni Lee and getting Lung captured, do you honestly expect us to believe your group, such as it is, can win against us all?"

I turned to Kaiser. I knew the real implication of what he was saying. While he didn't care if I burned all the others to the ground, he thought very little of my chances against the Empire. "Not at all. I have no doubts of the final outcome of such a situation. Yet it still does not concern me. You see, it doesn't matter if you win against me. You will still lose. I really don't care if you band together against me or not. Come at me, and all I know about your organizations will be delivered to the person sitting next to you. I wonder if the information I have on other locations, much less details of what transpires there, would tempt some of you to leave me in peace to enjoy my retirement."

I leaned back into my chair. "While I have a small matter to settle with Coil, I don't care about the rest of you, to be honest. Who you are, what you do, or how you run your territory has no impact on me or mine. Should those interests enter into my territory, well, then we can either discuss the situation to a mutually beneficial agreement, or I can respond in my usual manner to resolve the conflict. Should you all decide to enter into a truce and come at me all at once, then I will most likely lose. As an added caveat, allow me to explain what will happen should this event come to pass. Renegade."

Renegade, who was practically a statue the whole time this was going on, brought his arm before him activating his omni tool. The holographic emitters created an image over the table large enough for everyone to get a good look at the device. Not a very impressive thing, looking like nothing more like a techno cylinder. Renegade waited for the people at the table to get a good look before he started explaining. "A creation of Bakuda's and one we liberated from her workshop after we dealt with her. Probably her greatest masterpiece. According to her notes, the concept for the device was to create an electromagnetic pulse. The effects of which would have been similar to that generated by a city buster style nuclear detonation. Just without the side effects of mass destruction and death. What this means is, she wanted to create something that would effectively ruin any technology that utilizes broad band emissions. In essence, just about everything currently in use that is not shielded specifically against it. Even tinker craft could be susceptible.

"What she created was so much more. This device, code named 'Last Man Standing' does do that, but on a much higher scale. I will spare those assembled here the technical jargon over what actually takes place. I will state that judging by our research the initial blast is enough to displace a full city block to the outskirts of the city with most of the blast directed upward and lasting for approximately thirty seconds.

"Nothing with a crystalline structure within a thirty miles radius will remain intact. The pulse wave itself will become apparent after that distance and cover approximately seven hundred miles before it dissipates. This will effectively reduce a good portion of this landmass into a technical dark age. Research is suggestive that it is also possible, due to our location, we can also cause power outages as far as the Rocky Mountains due to the sudden disruption affecting key locations. If that theory proves fact, with this one device we can effectively shut down over two thirds of this nation. How long it will take to get the lights back on is debatable, but those areas affected by the pulse will not recover any time soon without extensive replacements to all electrical equipment."

I stood from my chair as everyone in the room stared at me in horror. The only sound before I started talking was that of my helmet sealing shut. "While I have no doubts of the outcome of a confrontation between us, it is inadvisable. As I stated before, we consider ourselves to be a wholly neutral party in the games played within the city. The only villain I have issue with at this moment is Coil, and that is something that can be put aside should he prove willing to concede on our situation. As you can see, while I am invested in Brockton Bay, I have absolutely no problems utilizing a scorched earth tactic in the advent of my destruction."

I turned, walking to the door. Uber and Leet walked through it first while Renegade stayed just a step behind me. He easily stepped aside so that everyone could see me when I stopped at the threshold to turn back to those assembled in the room. "In short, whether you wanted it or not, I am here, and I intend to stay."

"Do _not_ fuck with me."


	48. Skyllian Five 3

**Skyllian Five Story Arc: 6.3**

Night had fallen over the city hours ago. Several floors below me what was left of the night crew finished the last of the cleaning. From my vantage point on the roof I watched as the last car's headlights moved away from the restaurant taking them home to their families. For just a moment I wondered what they would do once they got there. Maybe have a late dinner? Go over their bills, or maybe spend what was left of the evening with a significant other?

It was a nice image. Home. Family. Peace.

The night wasn't as balmy as it would be in a month, but it was warm. A slight breeze from the bay washed over me. It was just cool enough to be enjoyable while not chilling. As I looked upward I took in what few stars I could see thanks to the light pollution from the city. No moon. No clouds. I inhaled deeply of the slightly salty air as the breeze tugged softly at my hair which I had tied in a tail at the back of my head.

Even though I was only dressed in a sports bra and jeans, I wasn't concerned about being seen. Nor was I concerned about anyone seeing my blue skin tone or my artificial arm. Despite how eye catching either of those things were. The arm especially since the replacement also necessitated additional hardware to cover my shoulder and a bit of my right side. I could technically get away without the additions but it made me awkward and I was having a hard enough time not breaking things without the added complication.

No, I wasn't worried about being seen tonight. I worried about tomorrow. And the day after that, and the day after that…

My sigh joined the breeze from the bay as I tried to sort through everything.

I knew he was approaching me long before I heard his footsteps along the roofs tared surface. When Sebastian drew next to me I leaned into him appreciating it when he put his arm around me. While I couldn't say I had what my employees had, I did have this. It was my own little piece of normalcy and I selfishly reveled in it.

"They still watching the mission recordings?"

"Like Joker watching the newest episode of 'Maiden's Gone Wild'."

I snorted at his quip but didn't comment. Instead I tried to cast aside my thoughts and just enjoy this moment. We'd been so busy lately and it didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon. There was no telling when we'd get another. However, it proved harder to ignore than I expected. "She's here."

"Yeah. Figured you knew but wanted to come up and let you know. You're getting pretty good at that. Greg commented yesterday that its downright freaky how you know where everyone is around you all the time."

"Say's the guy who builds go-kart's that shoot giant turtle shells and ray guns that pixelize non living matter." I scoffed. "Anyways, got easier with practice. One thing you have to say about how things worked out in the last month, I've gotten lot's of practice."

It was Sebastian's turn to snort. When I felt his head turn, I knew he was looking at me. "I can tell her to come back tomorrow. Give the pigmentation augment a chance to fade."

"Doesn't matter." I muttered as I reluctantly extracted myself from his side. My steps carried me back to the edge of the building where I leaned into the railing. No rest for the wicked. "Better we know now what happened after we left. Just in case it didn't work."

Even with my back to him I knew Sebastian nodded slowly. "Alright. Just remember, I'll be just downstairs."

I smiled. "Thank you."

I returned to my previous thoughts and the view as I waited. It didn't take long before I heard the surprised gasp behind me.

I turned around seeing who I expected to see. She had her dark blond hair done up in a tight bun with a pencil sticking out of it. A light airy blouse and tight hip hugging jeans made up her outfit. Even in the night around us I could see a smattering of freckles along the bridge of her nose thanks to the lamps in our parking lot.

"Holy shit. You know I have to ask, how far down does the blue go?"

I smiled half expecting the question. "All the way. Can't say I'll miss it when it runs it's course. Shouldn't last much longer."

"Yeah. Tomorrow I think."

"Uber's fate as a crab snack depends on it." My stated as my smile turned into a smirk. Inwardly I was a bit relieved to have confirmation that it _would_ fade.

The teen laughed freely as she approached me extending her hand. "I have to say I'm impressed. You certainly went out of your way to make sure no one would ever be able to figure out who you are out of costume. Well done. Lisa."

"Taylor." I stated extending my own. Lisa didn't even hesitate to take my artificial hand though she eyed my prosthetic intently for a few moments. "That was the idea. With how popular we are right now, we figured that if they could get an advantage by outing me, they'd take it. Keeps them guessing or looking in the wrong direction."

I waved to the small table and chairs not far from us. I brought them up a few days before the restaurant opened when we started hanging out here more than the Boat Graveyard. Sometimes I just needed a bit of space from things. "Wasn't sure you'd come."

"What, and miss a chance to spill the beans on how badly you freaked everyone out? Nope."

"That bad?" I asked smirking as I took my seat.

"I almost got a migraine from information overload." Lisa stated as she took the other one. "When you told me you were going to make an impression, I didn't think you would make one like _that_."

I nodded. "We needed them to take us seriously."

"Congrats. You succeeded. Maybe too well."

I sighed. "Yeah. That was always the risk. What happened after we left?"

Lisa was still giving me that vulpine smirk of hers."About what you would expect. Lot's of shouting and arguing. Took a bit before everyone settled down. Good news is that you succeeded in getting them to back off despite how Coil tried to get the others to go ahead with the truce. Surprisingly, Faultline actually made a good case for you."

"Don't like Faultline?" I asked catching the look on her face when she mentioned the cape.

Lisa shrugged. "We have bit of a history but that's more of a personal thing between us than anything else. One thing I will say about her though, is she's a good leader. Most of her crew is made up of capes who got the worst possible roll of the dice for powers and yet, she's only messed up a few jobs. None of them in a while either. She's even tangled with the Triumvirate once."

"That's impressive." I conceded.

"Anyway, like I was saying, she made the best case for you. Made a few comments about how you were a 'villain of your word' and stuff. As a mercenary whose rep is based on that, it's something that would get her attention. She felt that you could be reasoned with if approached non-aggressively."

"Huh. Well, that would explain why she sent me that message to meet Friday. That's good. Probably won't be a trap then."

"Yeah. They asked Grue a lot of questions since we've had the most interaction with you."

"Can't say I didn't see that coming. What did he tell them?"

"What he could. Not that he had any real say in the matter. It was pretty obvious when they questioned him there really wasn't an option to not answer. However, all it did was pretty much support your performance. You're competent. You keep to your word to the point that you'll take a bullet for an enemy to keep a truce intact. Yet, you're also the kind of cape that will cut off a woman's foot to spite her as you lay dying."

I winced as I rubbed my artificial arm. "He brought that up?"

"Not in detail, but yeah. While it wasn't well known we were there, enough of the ABB got away to spread the rumor about it. Grue told them we were there to discuss a way to deescalate the situation between the Undersiders and you when the ABB attacked our meet. He told them about how he thought Oni Lee killed you during that fight. How you surprised everyone when you stabbed and then cut off Bakuda's foot for 'Talking too much'. He didn't say exactly how you were hurt though. That coupled with the fact you sat there today enjoying your tea looking perfectly fine did a lot for your rep."

I shook my head at Lisa's comment but breathed a bit easier. "I guess I should have expected he'd get into some of the details. I'm glad he didn't give them everything though."

"Giving us the credit for the bank job went a long way with him. You don't know him very well, but Grue is pretty big on rep." I nodded again to her point as she continued. "However, the bad news is that you made a lot of enemies."

"That was going to happen anyways. No way Kaiser would have accepted us considering some of our members. Or the 'blue skinned' woman who led them. While I don't think any of the drug pushers we hit were Skidmark's, I'm pretty sure he's still raw about it. As for Coil we're already on opposite sides so that's not surprising."

"While true, there is a whole new level of dislike for you now. That bomb threat scared the shit of everyone. By the time the meet broke up they were still undecided on if you were lying through your teeth about having it, or if you did, would actually use it. Coil even tried pushing the idea that you would use it to hold us all hostage and force us to proclaim you 'Queen' of the city's underground. It didn't get very far though because of the way you talked and everything Grue said didn't mesh with that idea but it still got people thinking.

"Kaiser's planning on sending in people to scout the old ABB lines to see what you'll defend and what you won't. I'd be surprised if Coil didn't already have scouts looking around."

"We figured and already accounted for a lot of that. Lung had most of his ventures tied up in the heroin trade. Not my thing but some of his non powered leadership still run it. If Kaiser and the rest want to waste their time cleaning those up, that's fine by me. If not, we'll end up tapping them ourselves when ever we get around to it. As for the scouts, my people have already bounced two Merchant groups tonight. I didn't think it would be much longer before we had others looking around."

Lisa's smile widened. "You have people already?"

Her comment got a chuckle out of me. "Something like that. A few of the more civic minded ex ABB signed on. Not many since I'm leery about about some of the personalities Lung encouraged in his gang. Most of my people came from the civilians Bakuda implanted. Only a few of them were looking for something less mundane than working in the restaurant or some of the other jobs we set up to support it."

"Fuck, you move fast. Still, I would have figured you would be using Uber and Leet's henchmen. Not that they ever had many but they always seemed to know where to find people for their exploits."

I nodded. "We are. Just not in this capacity."

"Huh. Alright. Got anyone to do the vetting?"

"If you're looking to do some freelancing, sure. Let me know what you think you're time is worth and we can work something out." I accepted the implied offer. "What's Grue's take on this?"

Lisa sighed. "Worried as shit. For a _damn_ good reason but I'm not getting into it. Not my place to say."

I nodded as I leaned into the table. The metal of my arm clinking against the glass of the table jarred me for a second before I pushed it to the side. "Regardless of what it is, he should be worried. Just how deep into Coils pocket are you guys?"

Lisa tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she thought her answer out. "Varies for each of us. Mostly it's gratitude and the need we have for him. He's our launder and fence. Gives jobs now and then though I will say the Undersiders was his idea. Hand picked each of us based on what we could offer the team and how he could control us. For the others it wasn't anything bad and I already told you how he recruited me."

I nodded remembering what she told me the other day when we met. "My sources tell me we only have one month to end this thing with Coil. If we can't do it within that time, it can't be done. Think you can hold out that long?"

"Don't have much choice, do I? You're my best bet right now even if Coil is fucking determined to end you. Not just because of your stunt today, but for the Alcott girl. As things stand, I'm not even sure if I'll walk out of his headquarters the next time he calls me to him."

"Lisa, if he does, don't go. Run. If you have to, run straight for here but do not go to him the next time he calls. My information says the odds are strongly in favor of you not walking back out if you do."

I stared into Lisa's unfocused eyes as she frowned chewing slightly on her lower lip. "_Fuck._ How did I miss that? She's a god damn thinker…"

While I really rather she didn't figure that part out, I can't say I was surprised she had. I wasn't exactly sure how her powers worked but I'd seen enough to know she needed very little for it to do its thing. "Precog actually."

"Holy fuck that's broken. No wonder Coil wants her so badly."

I snorted half in agreement. "Right now, aside from Coil, you're the only one outside my team that knows this."

"What kind of odds did she give that I'd flip after reading your note?"

I smiled widely as I answered. "Ninety three point six five one eight that if approached right, you'd jump at an offer of help. I'm glad you found my message. I was extremely skeptical that you would since I wrote it in invisible ink. Especially since I wrote that on the paper I gave you with where Bitches dog was considering what happened that night. Still, Dinah was convinced it would work."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Took you long enough to find a way to contact me. I gave you enough hints. I thought for sure you completely missed what I was trying to say without saying when you shot me. Then there wasn't any way after Bakuda hit us to give you any more."

"Yeah, sorry about that but it _was_ just a concussion round. Besides, master class cape here, not thinker." I returned easily. "In case you haven't noticed, I've kinda had a lot going on."

My comment made Lisa laugh. "I'll give you that one."

"We were really hoping Coil would back down after today, but since he's not, then we'll have to go with Plan B." I informed her as I brought the topic back around to where it needed to be.

Lisa nodded as she looked directly into my eyes. "So, cards on the table?"

"Preferably. We can't risk not trusting each other at this point."

Lisa's nod was barely visible in the darkness around us. "Coil's the kind of paranoid that creeps out other paranoid people. His power takes the game to a completely different level. He can effectively get information from people through means like torture and then just make like it didn't happen while he still knows what he extracted. With that in mind, I want to keep the Undesiders out of this. The less people who know about this shit, the better. In exchange, I can commit a lot of resources to what we're going to do. Despite how he watches us, me in particular, I've managed to hide things from him."

"Like what you did at Bay Central?" I asked.

My question made the girl blink in surprise. "You knew about that?"

I couldn't help smirking. "One of my people figured out you did something while you were accessing the servers. At first we weren't sure of what, but it wasn't hard to figure out based on what you were accessing at the time. Since it was piggybacked on what we were doing I don't think we have to worry that the heroes or Coil figured it out."

Lisa shook her head. "Alright. Another thing. You know we have to kill him. If we don't, the best thing we would achieve is to drive him from the city. Eventually, he'd come back. Stronger, and with far more numbers than before. His pride won't have him do less."

"It has been discussed." I returned carefully.

"If you can't bring yourself to do it, I will." Lisa stated intently. She must have caught my hesitation at the idea of killing someone. "Personally I don't care whose hand the gun is in. It just needs to be done. Coil is way too dangerous to leave alive."

I let out a breath as I half nodded to her words. "I take it you figured out what he had planned for you?"

Lisa snorted at my question. "I've known for months what he eventually plans to do with me. While I'm not exactly to the point I thought I'd need, I'm at a point that, with your help, I think we can put an end to this thing."

I nodded. "Alright. Here is what we have in mind…"

_XxXExiledXxX_

"Play it again."

_"__Do _not _fuck with me."_

Aisha leaned back roaring in laughter along with everyone else in the room. "Ohmygod! I am so making that my ring tone!"

I rolled my eyes as I watched them. Were they ever going to let this go?

Laughing almost to the point of crying, Steve paused the mission recording. "I have never been so glad to be in a costume that had a full helmet. I damn near lost it when she said that."

"Ditto man. I was so glad we were already outside when she laid that on them. There is no way they wouldn't have seen my shoulders shaking." Greg added as he laughed with the others.

I shook my head as I passed by the group of laughing capes at the vid screen. I made my way instead to the other side of the room carefully opening the fridge to get something to drink. By the time I sat on the bar stool at the little island Sebastian joined me.

"How'd it go?"

"Plan B with a few alterations."

"Not ideal, but not unexpected. We also have another development." He grunted as he took a seat across from me.

I slowly lowered the can I was drinking from. "That does not sound good."

"It's not."

"Figures." I sighed as I gave him my full attention. "What happened?"

Sebastian activated his omni tool bringing up a screen as he explained. "While at the meet, Chatika found a fairly sophisticated tinker tech device. In the process of trying to analyze it through the sensor suite in Leet's hard suit, she discovered it was set to record our meeting. She implanted a V. I. into it's software so that whenever it was retrieved and viewed, we'd be able to know by who. It was viewed several times before the V.I. could extract itself and return."

The first recording sat at an awkward angle. As if the device was sitting on a table or desk. It showed a man, maybe in his thirties. Dirty blond hair and unmasked though the rest of his outfit looked like what you would expect on a cowboy back in the days of gunfighters and indians. He was obviously sitting in a chair intently eying his monitor. The speakers of his computer playing everything that was said earlier this afternoon.

His expression never changed through the whole thing. Staying just as focused and intent through the whole meeting. He never spoke a single word until just after I left the pub.

_"__Fuck."_

The image cut off as a new one took its place. It was some kind of office. Like before the image was skewed. However it didn't show the cowboy this time. Instead it showed two people, one of them I recognized easily. Even without his trademark halberd stuck behind him I would have recognized him anywhere. Just seeing him allowed me to place the older woman sitting next to him. Director Piggot of the Brockton Bay Protectorate.

I swallowed thickly as I watched them view the recording. This, this was not part of the plan. Like the cowboy, they remained quiet as they assimilated everything that happened. When it was over the Director turned to Armsmaster but didn't say a word.

_"__He lied."_

"Which part?"

"What the device did and if she would use it."

Piggot seemed to shrink down into her seat slightly. _"Thank God. Can you tell me what the device actually does?"_

_"__It's not an EMP pulse of any kind. It does do what Renegade stated in the beginning. It is a destructive tinker explosive meant to level a city block. That part was true. It was meant to be a weapon of last resort. That is true. However, I don't think that is all it does, but I do know he lied about the EMP effects and Matriarch lied about being willing to deploy it."_

Piggot nodded as she once more asserted herself to the situation._ "Troubling, but not as troubling as it looked at first. What else can you tell me?"_

Armsmaster leaned in slightly still eying the monitor. _"Matriarch stated she considers her organization to be a 'rogue state'. This is true. She does not see herself as a villain or a hero. She stated her only issue was with the villain Coil. A lie but it was difficult to detect. While it is true he is her main focus right now, she also has issues with the others._  
_  
"I would like to take this to my lab. There, Dragon can help me analyze it to a deeper degree. This is only recording we have gotten of them with voice. I have better programs there and with Dragons help, we can pull every nuance we can from this. I do not believe we should waste the opportunity to further understand them."_

_"Agreed." _Piggot stated as she looked to someone off screen. Immediately Armsmaster reached for the camera. _"Thank you Ayres…"_

Once again the feed cut off and was replaced with another view. Had to be Armsmasters workshop because from the angle I could see suits of power armor hanging everywhere as well as all kinds of tinker stuff. Armsmaster himself was center stage as he hammered out something on a keyboard.

_"__Programs are booted and ready. Beginning stream."  
_  
I had no problems recognizing Dragons voice._"Yes, I am receiving it now."_

_"Good. The first part I would like to analyze is her speech. Then we can go through Renegades."_

_"Sounds good. Wait…"_

_"Is there a problem?"_

_"I don't know. The file seem unusually large for what it is. It's almost as if..."_

_"As if?"_

_"Armsmaster, there is a program in the program and it is watching us!"_

_"__What!?" _Armsmaster yelled as he spun looking square at the camera.

Sebastian omni tool vanished. "Thanks to Armsmaster trying to upload the feed to Dragon the V.I. found a way out of it's confinement in the camera. Discovered, it destroyed the recording they were trying to analyze. Once done it extracted by uploaded itself into the satellite they were using. From there it moved across an entire host of them piggybacking on other signals to lose pursuit before it eventually found a telecommunications satellite that had the capabilities it needed to get back. From there it moved into a local cable company's servers until it found the node Uber installed so he could get free T.V. That brought it back to us."

I lowered my head into my hands. "What are we going to do about this? More importantly what do you think the heroes response is going to be?"

"Overall, it could be a lot worse. While they know we have some truly nasty ordinance, they also know we are not looking for a fight. If we are lucky, they might decide to pull back and give us some space in order to cool the situation down."

"And if we're not lucky?" I asked fearfully although I already had a good idea of the answer.

"Then I expect our threat level will elevate to Class A, and they will try and kill us."


	49. Skyllian Five 4

**Skyllian Five Story Arc: 6.4**

I turned the corner of the building I was walking past taking me into the alley beside it. Despite that Renegade wanted us all to take full weapons every time we left base, I didn't. Just my knife and pistol. The other stuff was just way too much for day to day operations. Especially when we all had omni tools and I was just dealing with a minor nuisance. Besides, it sent the wrong message and even if something was to happen, I wasn't exactly defenseless. I had several blocks worth of bugs at my command and not all of them were crawling or flying around me.

In the alley I now walked was a small group of people waiting for me. Two of them were on the ground though only one was still conscious. That one had taken a knee as he staunched the blood that was running down from his temple.

The other three in the small crowd stood guard. The guy and girl looked like what you would expect gang members to look like. Both were kind of rough looking and not quite out of their teens. Lots of tattoos, artfully torn clothes, piercings, that kind of thing. Obviously ex-ABB. Both were carrying batons and looked very nervous to see me walking to toward them. Once I approached close enough both gave me respectful nods that I returned after a moment. The last one in the party was different and the one obviously in charge.

He stood with his hands behind his back watching me approach. His face masked like Rorrim's. Aside from that, his look wasn't that much different than Renegade's back when we first joined forces. Hard vestment and protections strapped over vital areas. It was a look that was actually catching on among the non-powered of my growing gang. Well, those who were 'in'.

As I drew level with him the masked man snapped into a stiff posture before giving me a crisp military salute. Even after meeting him a few times it still caught me off guard when he did that. I played it off though giving him a nod back while keeping my eyes on the wounded man kneeling on the ground. "Gunny."

"Matriarch." The man stated assuredly before he gestured needlessly. "The prisoners."

I didn't say anything for a moment. Just stared at the kneeling man. I took note of the gas can not far away. It was laying on its side not far from us. Probably dropped when my foot soldiers found them sneaking around.

I shook off my introspection. "Have you ascertained who their target was?"

"Jewish couple. Maybe a block down the road. We think anyways. _Pendejo_ here isn't talking."

Judging by the wounds they had it didn't appear to be from a lack of encouragement. Again my concerns over Miguel's attitude looked justified. However this wasn't the time to bring it up. I made a mental note to mention it to Renegade later tonight. Maybe he could talk to the guy again. It wasn't like I couldn't understand what made him the way he was. I just didn't know how to help him and I didn't want him to take things too far. As for the guy on the ground, he sneered at us as he continued to hold the bloody rag to his head. Even if I couldn't see the swastika tattooed on his arm I knew this was one of Kaiser's people. However, it didn't look like a prelude to anything more than some half drunk racist doing his thing. It'd been a few days since the meet and I honestly expected them to try something by now but so far it's been relatively quiet.

"What the fuck you looking at you blue whore?"

I remained silent as I considered what to do. While the city's gangs had yet to make a push into my territory there had been several of these incidents the last few days. Merchants looking for new places to cook meth, rough looking people driving through looking around way too intently, and these guys. White supremacists who decided to vent their spleen on my people. I wasn't sure if it was normal for this area or if they were being directed to work here. Either way I figured that if I kept making examples of them then it would either taper off or the villains backing them would try something.

I'm not sure what it said about me that I didn't know which I preferred.

"You know what I think?" The kneeling man stated as he rose to his feet. His eyes glaring hatefully at me the entire time. "I don't think you're so tough. Just some stupid freak that thinks she's better than the rest of us."

Other than my hooded helmet following his movements I didn't make any moves as he stood before me. Behind him I noticed my other two enforcers look at each other worriedly before turning back to me. I continued to watch the guy as he seemed to mentally psyche himself up. My continued silence must have finally gotten to him because a moment later, he swung at me.

Inhuman reflexes brought my hand up catching his fist before it completed it's maneuver. The look on his face would have been hilarious had it not very quickly given way to pain as I slowly started squeezing. The Nazi minion snarled, cursed, as the pressure continued until finally it became too much and he screamed. As he fell back to his knees his screams became panicked pleas for me to let him go. However I didn't release him until the alley reverberated with the unique sound of bones snapping as his hand gave way under the pressure.

Once freed he fell to his side. Tears falling from his face as he cradled his arm. My two enforcers looked at him before directing respectful gazes my way. I ignored them only reacting when I heard Gunny ask the question that brought me here in the first place. "What would you like done with them?"

"The usual. Unless," I turned just enough to see the entrance of the alley. "_You_ want to take custody of them?"

My three henchmen jumped at my statement but I remained placidly waiting as I watched the entrance to the alley. A masculine chuckle preceded the cape walking around the corner revealing himself. He was wearing a very streamlined suit of body armor that was obviously tinker tech. A thick opaque visor covered the upper half of his face.

"Assault." I casually greeted the revealed hero.

"Matriarch." I remained quiet as he approached a few steps before stopping. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to notice me. I'd been following you since…"

"You spotted me from that rooftop at the corner of St Cathrine and Thirty Fifth." I finished.

His head tilted slightly as I revealed I knew he was following me the whole time. "And yet you didn't do anything about it."

"I knew when you climbed that fire escape to get to the roof. I knew when you crossed into my territory. I even knew when you got up this morning. Was there a reason for me to be concerned?" Assault chuckled again but didn't reply, so I did. "Did you wish to take custody of the prisoners?"

"Not much I can do to them since the only crime I have witnessed is you breaking his hand. Being a dick isn't illegal at the moment."

I turned slightly to the masked man beside me. "The usual."

The man next to me nodded before he moved to pick up the guy whose hand I broke. I turned to the others not saying a word. Not that I needed to once they noticed me looking at them. Both quickly picked up the unconscious guy. As a pack they started dragging them away from both the hero and me. The hero in our midst didn't so much as twitch as they went about their work. It answered a few questions as well as spawned several more.

I turned my back on them facing Assault who likewise faced me before he spoke. "The usual?"

"Stripped naked and tied to lamp post at the edge of my territory."

"Bit harsh, don't you think?"

I clamped down on my snort. His words would have probably been more effective if he wasn't trying to hold in his laughter. "I see no reason to waste free resources."

"I don't suppose I could get you to explain that to me? The message it sends is pretty clear, but resources?"

"Clothes, shoes, etc are donated to unfortunates in my territory who have needs. Personal things like IDs or pictures are disposed of as useless. Cells, money, jewelry, piercings, etc are taken as 'tax' for stupidity."

"You must make a lot of money then."

"Like you would not believe." I deadpanned.

Assault lost his ability to hold in his laughter. "I have to ask, you actually give their clothes away?"

"I can see how you wouldn't know it, living in your ivory tower the way you do, but there are a lot of homeless and needy persons existing within the docks for lack of better. If we don't know anyone who can use them, they usually end up at a Salvation Army or a similar distributor." I stated as if it was nothing new. "Is this the part where we fight?"

The hero frowned at my jab. When he answered my question a lot of his earlier playfulness was gone. "Is that what you want to do?"

"Not particularly. I actually have a rather full schedule this evening."

"You _are_ confident, aren't you? That sure you would win?" I didn't reply. After a few seconds of silence Assault continued with a more neutral tone. "To answer your question, no. I didn't come here to fight. Not sure how much you know about what heroes do, but I was on patrol when I spotted you. Considering the interest in you at headquarters, I thought I would investigate. Maybe talk to you if you proved to be as civil as your reputation says."

"Civilized conversation is always welcome." I replied to the unasked question. I kept my eyes on Assault but waved upward dismissively.

When Assault looked upward his relaxed posture immediately stiffened. Not surprising. Had I been in his position, I probably would have had the same reaction to what was on the rooftop above us.

Renegade was perched with one armored leg resting on the edge of the building. The rifle in his hands was probably the biggest weapon we ever produced. Uncompacted it was easily five feet long, black as pitch, and every bit as deadly as it was when he used it in his old dimension. It was a weapon that visually stated, in no uncertain terms, it existed _solely_ to ruin someone's day. The huge thermal scope rested against Renegades helmet as it pointed at Assault in a way that left no doubt about where he was aiming.

As the hero slowly raised his hands I smirked. While I didn't carry a full weapons kit, Renegade did. This was never more apparent than when he slowly straightened his posture returning the rifle, which he playfully dubbed 'The Black Widow', to his back. The sounds of it compacting were the only ones in the alley until Renegade stepped off the roof.

Unlike in times past when he did this he didn't slowly float down. His fall wasn't as fast as it should have been but when he hit the pavement it shattered with enough force to jostle Assault. I stumbled slightly as well but I was half expecting it when he didn't immediately use his powers to control his descent. Adding to the scene Renegade slowly rose from his kneeling position in the crater he created like some kind of demon rising from the pits of hell.

It was absolutely the most 'dramatic' I'd ever seen him be, and I almost laughed ruining it. Despite what he might say, seeing him hamming up his image like that, I couldn't help but think Earth Bet was growing on him.

When Assault brought his eyes back to mine I gave a slight shrug hoping my amusement didn't show in my voice. "He's a little protective of me."

"Understatement." I heard him mutter before he regained his nonchalance.

"As I said earlier, I do have prior engagements. What do you wish to know, Assault?"

The hero remained silent for a few moments as if gathering his thoughts. Eventually he shook his head. "You are the strangest villain I have ever met."

"Yes, it has been mentioned once or twice by an associate of mine. Your point?"

"You have to know you can't keep this up. The violence, the deaths. Taunting your peers or outright gunning them down. You don't strike me as the stupid type but you have to know running roughshod over the city like you have has consequences. What makes all this worth it? What is it you want out of all this?"

"To exist in peace in a place that is not a shit hole." By his reaction my answer must have surprised him so I continued. I couldn't help but scoff. "Heroes. Do you even know what this city is like? While you go to your fundraisers enjoying expensive meals and rubbing elbows with the who's who, the masses of this city struggle for crumbs to live another day."

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. "I've been told there was a time when this city was a jewel of the seaboard. A time when there were more jobs than there were people to fill them. Products manufactured here were sent all over the world and everyone knew of Brockton Bay as more than just a 'cape city'. It is a… compelling image.

"Yet, look around you now. Businesses that were once successful lay fallow. Factories that once ran non stop meeting demands that couldn't be met, now sit silent. Monuments to apathy and decay. People, normal people, sit hungry and cold looking around them knowing that this, this is as good as it gets. But as long as all this is happening away from the Boardwalk, away from Downtown where you heroes primp for your next photo shoot, it's alright. After all, those areas still shine in their old glory."

Assault scoffed at me. "You expect me to believe that you are doing all this for the 'good of the people?' Such bullshit. What, you think you can make everything better? Maybe you earn a few favors or even some good will from those in what you think of as 'your territory', but in the end you are just like every other villain here. You take what you want to enrich yourself while living in your own little fiefdom."

"If I am just like every other villain in the city, then why the interest? For years you let Lung's people do whatever they wanted. Raping, murdering, or dealing drugs with impunity when you could have done something to stop him. At least my tactics are not directed at innocents."

"Lung was too strong…"

"Yet _I_ managed to defeat him." Assault didn't reply to my taunt. "Someone needed to take him down. Someone needed to break his organization and put a stop to the madness that is happening in this city. Someone needs to make the hard choices and get things done or this city is never going to recover. There has to be a better balance than this."

"So what, just because things are bad you're going to burn the city down? Rebuild it in an image you think it should be? What the hell gives you that right, Matriarch?

"I shouldn't _have_ to do this. It was supposed to be _you._" I half whispered harshly. The wings and mandibles of my bugs counterpointing my emotional words. "The people look to heroes to help them. Make things better. Make things _right._ Instead we have _this._"

I don't know way this whole thing was hitting me like this but it was. Maybe it was that the first hero I actually met was one who thought so little of me. Or how he didn't get it. Sadly, probably none of them would. More probably it was my own past creeping up on me. All I knew was I was slipping and I needed to put some distance between us before I lost my composure.

I shook my head turning away. I only took a few steps however before I turned around again. "Think what you will of me, _hero_. Come at me if that is what you think you need to do. Regardless of what you think of me or what I am doing, you know _nothing_. But you will. _Soon_."

With that cryptic remark I turned my back on him again. This time I didn't turn back around. Renegade walked in step beside me as we made our way and I tried to calm down. Pointless. I should have known it would be but I still tried. What did I expect out of that? Validation? Understanding? Maybe even a nod that not all of us were that bad? So stupid.

Renegade didn't talk as I stewed over the confrontation and my disillusionment. He didn't do anything but walk beside me until we entered a parking garage where we stored one of our vans. Just before I got in, his armored arms wrapped around me. I allowed my helmet to rest against his shoulder taking what comfort I could from the only person who seemed to understand.

"How long until our meet with Faultline?" I whispered.

"Three hours."

I nodded. "I need to get the Instant Swarm Box first. Just in case."

"Then we should go."

_XxXExiledXxX_

Renegade waited in the van while I made my way through the massive storm drain that emptied at the shore. I navigated it easily without need of a light by using my bugs to know where everything was until I eventually arrived at a ladder. A quick ascent brought me to the heavily concealed trap door in Skitters store room. From there I entered into the kitchens where it got a bit weird.

At first there was no reaction to my presence but that changed as my employees realized it was me and not one of the others. All eyes followed me as I walked past heading to the stairs that would take me to the floors above. The only one who moved was the guy who blocked the door that led into the restaurant proper until I was almost to where I was heading.

"Matriarch."

I nodded to the older man's greeting. "Mr Lin. Business is going well?"

"Very busy, as always. Are you staying long? Would you care for something to eat?"

I shook my head. "Just need to pick up something. Not sure how long we'll be but I wouldn't say no to something when we get back. I doubt the others would deny themselves a chance to sample some of the excellent food our cooks produce. If we're not back by closing I would appreciate it if you left something in the fridge."

"Of course. Any preferences?"

"Surprise me."

"We will have it ready for you when you return."

I nodded again before taking the stairs to the third floor ignoring the way everyone's eyes followed me. While the second floor was a kind of CIC, we kept most of our stuff on the third. It was sort of a storage and changing room though we didn't keep a lot of things here. Some armor, a few weapons, and costumes for our non fighters. I quickly found what I was looking for before heading down to let the others know we were heading out.

Not sure what I expected when I walked in but seeing Steve and Greg looking at a vid screen wasn't one of them. While it wasn't out of the ordinary to see them doing that, it was the content on the screen that threw me. The displayed image was fuzzy. Mostly black and grey showing a strange shape. Steve and Greg weren't the only ones watching either. Sharee sat not far away looking at it with stunned eyes while Paige rubbed her back.

I blinked. While I tried to figure out what was going on, Steve turned slightly to Greg. "Dude, what are we watching again?"

"Man, I'm not sure." Greg replied as he tilted his head awkwardly. "But I think it's about to attack the _Enterprise_."

I ignored Steve's comment about not remembering this episode, as I made my way to Sharee. Things started falling into place as I noticed the tear fall from Sharee's eye. By the time I got next to her I managed to drop my hood and remove my helmet before taking a knee beside the catatonic girl.

"How far along?" I asked sympathetically.

"E...eight weeks…"

My hand joined Paige's as I rubbed her back. Paige gave me a slight smile which let me know Sharee must have been like this for a while.

"You told the father yet?"

Sharee shook her head rapidly. "Du...dumped me a couple of weeks ago. Ha...haven't seen him since. Been kinda busy here..."

I sighed as her mouth opened and closed a few times. After a moment of putting herself together she started talking. "I've missed before, you know? Didn't think anything of it. Always used protection. I… I don't..."

"You going to tell him?"

My question seemed to put a bit more life into her. "Yeah. Sure. For all the good it will do. Robert isn't what you would call the 'family' type. Already with someone else."

Paige asked the question that was pretty much on my mind but I wasn't willing to ask. "You going to keep it?"

Sharee took a deep breath before nodding firmly, her hands clasping over her abdomen lovingly. "It's part of me. Neither of us asked for this but here we are. I won't abandon him. Her. Whichever it ends up being."

I smiled. "Whatever you need." Sharee finally brought her eyes to mine. I kept my smile in place as I nodded to my own statement.

"You sure? I mean, I'm still kinda dealing with just knowing but, that's a big offer. I don't know..."

"We take care of our own." I replied easily. "Whatever you need, just let us know and it's yours."

Like a dam bursting, Sharee collapsed into my armored suit crying. I smiled awkwardly as I rubbed her back letting her know everything would be alright before looking to Paige. "Let Sebastian know I'll probably be a while?"


	50. Skyllian Five 5

**Skyllian Five Story Arc: 6.5**

We were pushing it as we navigated the sewer tunnel that would take us to Faultlines nightclub. It took a while for Sharee to calm down enough for Paige to take over. By that time the guys figured out something was wrong and rose to the occasion trying to make her feel better. By the time I left, Sharee was even laughing.

Similar to how our secret entrance to Skitters was set up, ahead of us was a long ladder that was obviously not part of the original designs for this sewer. Standing at the base of this, was Newter. A wide smile on his face when he noticed us walking toward him.

"My apologies for being a bit late." I greeted him when we got close enough.

"No problem. We know how things can go." He returned still smiling as he extended his hand.

As I took the offered hand he surprised me by bringing the back of my armored glove to his lips. I wouldn't say I froze from the act but I was definitely stunned at the move. It wasn't until I felt Renegades shoulders shaking from the bugs I had on him that I realized my reaction was visible.

Newter had a roguish grin on his orange tinted face when he released my hand. "Sorry to have you have to walk in the back way, but Friday nights are pretty busy. No way we'd get you inside without someone seeing you."

"Not to say we're not always busy, but you tend to catch the eye, Matriarch." With that the orange teen turned around and started climbing the ladder.

I spun on Renegade seeing him still chuckling to himself. "Not one word."

Despite my warning his voice was laced in amusement. "Of course, Matriarch."

"Renegade?"

"Yes?"

"Bees." I practically hissed before I grabbed the ladder to follow Newter. "Lots and lots of _bees_."

I heard the click that signified he disabled his audio as I started my assent. It wasn't the fact that I was embarrassed about being hit on by a orange skinned teen per se. It was more along the lines I was hit on at all. The fact my boyfriend was standing right there compounded it. As I accepted Newters hand to help me exit, I shook my head at how weird this was. At least Renegade was taking it in good humor. As I cleared the way for the laughing idiot to climb through himself I tried to ignore the way Newter was looking at me.

Inside was about what our secret entrance looked like. A non-descript store room. Judging by how muffled the sounds of the clubs speakers were, I assumed we were pretty well in the back. We followed our guide through a small maze of halls before ascending a staircase. Eventually it brought us to a door Newter walked into without knocking.

There was Faultline, owner of Palanquin and several other cover businesses across Brockton Bay. She was seated at a large oak desk in the midst of ledgers, notebooks and university textbooks. Something that looked similar to a xylophone, a series of rods lined up next to one another, strapped tight to a board sat on a shelf set into the right wall. The rest of the room was about what you would expect from a business owner.

Faultline was in professional clothes; a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black slacks tucked into shiny black riding boots with steel toes. Her wavy black hair was tied back in a ponytail. The only thing that detracted from the image was the mask she wore. As I took the offered seat I thought it was a good bet she didn't usually wear it around here. That spoke a great deal about the loyalty of the people that worked for her. While I didn't think any of the people who worked for me would turn me in, I didn't let them see my face, but maybe that would change in time.

Renegade entered. He wasn't wearing his weapons aside from a sidearm, and thankfully, Faultline took our armored bulk into consideration when she brought chairs for us.

"I'm glad you showed. Wasn't sure you were going to."

I nodded slightly. "A matter of interest arose and it required my personal attention. I apologize for the delay."

Faultline gave me a nod accepting my apology. "Quite the show you put on at the meet."

I remained silent. After a moment I heard Faultline chuckle as we stared each other down. "Cool headed as shit, I'll give it to you. I can appreciate that, prefer it actually. In a business like ours, keeping your head under fire is something of a job requirement if you expect to do the distance."

I nodded to her point but waited silently. Already I was confused by what this was all about. After a moment or two of silence in which case we only regarded each others masked faces, she spoke again. "How much do you remember?"

I blinked not understanding. "Remember?"

"About before you woke up in a strange city."

Beside me Renegade's armored bulk stiffened. Judging by how Faultline's mask moved to him I knew it wasn't missed.

"Ah." I stalled. "That."

Of course I had no idea what 'that' was but I was starting to get the idea as I turned to Newter. Specifically, the tattoo just over his heart. Neither of capes in front of me missed the look. While physical changes were pretty uncommon for most capes, some had them. Like the feathers in Paige's hair or like Newter and Gregor the Snail. Faultline must have thought I was like Newter. One of the capes whose power changed them so badly they couldn't pass for human anymore. Not really surprising considering our ruse but the way she was looking at me made me think there was a lot more to it this than we originally thought.

As I racked my head trying to figure out how I wanted to play this, Newter spoke softly. "Hey, you know, it's alright. We all have stories like it."

I directed my gaze to him but remained silent. After a moment to gather myself I nodded slowly. "Not much."

"Like Newter said, that is pretty common. I take it you recognize this symbol?"

I nodded. "I do. A similar one rests between my shoulder blades directly over my spine."

Renegade directed his gaze to me but didn't speak. I kept my focus on Faultline as I continued. "I take it you know something of this?"

"Not as much as we would like." She gave as she leaned back into her chair. "No one who has this tattoo remembers anything before they woke up changed. Not their name, their past or anything before that moment, yet they might speak multiple languages just fine. Other things like being able to drive or knowing some skill or another is also usually intact, but nothing specific about them personally. Usually they wake up in a big city dumped in some alley or something. No one recognizes them or knows anything. My crew is actually made mostly of these kinds of capes so you can understand that this is something we're interested in."

"Yes, I can see that." I mumbled. Looking at Faultline I decided to gamble. "My own, arrival you could say, was similar. I too woke up in a strange city with no idea how I got there. Yet, I remembered who I was, my past, everything. Just not how I came to be there or who did this to me."

My admission surprised both of them and caused Faultline to lean forward. "You think this was done to you? Any flashbacks or, I don't know, dreams about what happened?"

I thought carefully as I tried spin what was told to me. "Things were confused. Hazy as if I was intoxicated or drugged. There were people. I could not understand them. Things deteriorate rapidly. I realized I was in a bed but not like one I used to sleep. Then I realized I was not where I should have been. I fought back and managed to escape. I have judged that somewhere between my last clear memory and when I woke up I lost about two weeks worth of time. When I became fully aware, I realized I was in a strange city. I could not go back home like this, so I wandered. That was… some time ago."

As I watched Faultline turned to Newter giving him a significant look before I continued. "If you have information on what happened to me, I would be greatly interested."

Faultline directed her gaze to me before sighing. "I do not know a lot. What I do know is mostly speculation. Pieces of a puzzle that we've been trying to put together for some time."

I nodded hearing what wasn't said. It was expensive and dangerous intelligence gathering meant for private use. I reached into one of my concealed thigh pouches pulling out the object I'd hidden there for situations like this before placing it on the table.

As Faultline slowly picked the object up I made my offer. "I am more than willing to contribute to obtain this information."

"Is this real?"

I nodded firmly. "Twenty four carat gold. No impurities. Black market value roughly eighteen thousand, buyer depending. A...sample to exemplify my seriousness."

Faultline's mask looked directly into mine for a few moments before she nodded. The gold she held was set aside as she stepped her fingers. Newter's eyes had widened and remained locked on the shining object on the desk.

"One million."

"Would gold bullion suffice? I would prefer to not have to exchange that much myself. My contact for such endeavors is not that well connected. While my resources are significant that much untraceable currency would be an issue. I would assume you would prefer untraceable?"

"Indeed. One point three to make up the difference since I'll most likely have to use back channels to liquidate it myself." Faultline countered firmly.

It probably made me look weak but I didn't even try to haggle. "Done. When would you like to do the exchange?"

Faultline shook her head. I figured to how quickly I caved in, but I didn't care. This was the first time we even got a hint of what happened to Sebastian. There was no way I could pass this up.

"Tomorrow night. Location?"

"Jugson point. Midnight." I offered.

Faultline stood extending her hand. I rose as well taking it. I didn't think she'd have a problem with that one. While it was pretty open, that was the point. Jugson Point was north of here, a bit away from the city but most importantly, didn't offer a lot of hiding spots. It was as good a place as any to trade a large amount of money and secret documents.

"Then, shall we continue this tomorrow night?"

_XxXExiledXxX_

The stillness of the night was broken by a pained gasp. Small hands fisted the bedsheets in a death grip. The body attached to those hands rose slightly. The small girl's head twitched to the visions only she could see.

Pain. Death. Destruction. It was everywhere. The landscape broiled in superheated air. Ashes danced in the sky free of any other objects. Buildings burned. Nothing was untouched.

The sound of people talking brought her to the only living things she had witnessed so far. There, huddled together were many people. Maybe a hundred. All capes. All of them waiting. None of them untouched by the hardships around them. Most were sitting as they waited. Only a few stood looking around. It was one of these that screamed something and pointed. She spun to see what had the poor man so scared when she screamed herself.

Tears fell from her eyes as she looked in horror at someone she knew. Even though he was recognizable, he was also different. He was a lot older and his eyes burned in a baleful red glare. Scars ran through what she could see of his face. Most extremely raw with the skin horribly peeled along them. As disfigured as his face looked, it was his expression that scared her the most. She'd never seen it before but it left her feeling cold and empty. It was as if his mere presence somehow stole all hope from the world. His fancy armor wasn't fancy anymore. It was blistered and broken. Not that it seemed to bother him as he stood watching the crowd, swirled in his powers.

By now the crowd had all jumped to their feet. Many were crying but a few stood at the front as if to shield them. One in particular stood to the very front. When Dinah saw who it was, her tears doubled.

Like the scary man before them, this woman's armor was also heavily damaged. She cried too but her face held a resolve to it that spoke of her commitment to those she guarded. Dinah easily recognized her as well, and like the scary man, she was also older than she should have been.

If how the man looked was scary, it was nothing to his voice. It sounded like hundreds of people talking in sync all at once. "Stand aside, Taylor."

"Not this time, Sebastian." The woman stated firmly.

"You know what has to be done. You know this is the only way."

Taylor shook her head. "We are not the enemy…"

"They are!" Sebastian screamed as he stepped forward. The crowd as a group all matched his step, only going back. Everyone but Taylor. "All of them, every last augment…"

"They're gone Sebastian! Cauldron, the Reapers, all of them are DEAD! It's over!"

Sebastian stumbled slightly shaking his head. "No, not yet. But they will be. These are the last… Can't, can't let it continue. No more cycles, no more entities… only way to make sure. No choice. Have to kill them all. No more..."

Taylor's tears continued even as a similar nimbus formed around her. Dinah eyes widened as its intensity matched Sebastian's. Several capes broke from the crowd to stand next to her but they didn't glow. The words she spoke next seemed almost to be carried away by the harsh wind, but everyone still heard them.

"I love you, Sebastian, but so help me if you take one more step forward, I will kill you."

"I hope so," Sebastian whispered back. Bloody tears fell from his own eyes as he did exactly what Taylor told him not too. His face firming as he continued his slow advance. "One way or another, this ends today..."

As if it was a signal, like the chime of the clock that must never be allowed to tick, both screamed as they raced toward each other. Faces tear stained and snarling in lethal intent. The impact of them colliding against each other was so blinding, Dinah screamed herself.

_87.458245678522% probability..._

"Oh god no…" Dinah begged even as her body jerked to the next vision.

It was another scene of destruction, but different. Dinah half recognized the area but couldn't be sure. It looked like Brockton Bay, but didn't. Ruined bodies were strewn about everywhere. Some looked to have simply given up leaning against buildings, most appeared to have been killed running away from something.

However, the most horrible aspect of the scene was the bugs. They were everywhere, over everything. Flying so thickly it was hard to see very far. In the midst of the insect storm walked a group of people but one person immediately caught her eye. She looked so different than before. She wasn't dressed in her armor, but something more like her old costume. Close beside her seamlessly matching her stride, walked many others in a circle. Expressionless faces looked where she looked and moved exactly how she moved.

They only moved a short distance when they came across someone. He was kind of familiar but Dinah didn't recognize him. He was hurt badly leaning up against a building. One eye closed and bloody as he watched the group approach. His power armor scorched and broken as blood leaked from various places.

"So. This is how it will end."

The group parted allowing the woman to move to the front. The woman remained quiet for several moments before she knelt next to him, pulling out a huge knife. Dinah gasped when she plunged the blade into the man's armored side cutting the straps that held it in place.

For his part, he only grunted but didn't resist. Once she had his chest exposed she turned to look him in the eye. "It wasn't enough to just take Sebastian from me. No, that wasn't nearly enough. One by one you took everyone else. Dad, Paige, Steve, Greg, Sharee, Dinah, everyone. You heroes took from me everything I have ever loved. You made me what I am, Legend. Forced me to do this by hunting me. When you get to hell, tell Armsmaster that even all these years later, I think fondly of his time with me. I still get shivers remembering his screams… But don't worry, I'm almost done now. Only three more to go… "

Dinah screamed when Taylor savagely began stabbing the prone man.

_78.158734268927% probability…_

It went on and on and on. For over an hour Dinah's small body jerked to one horrible possible future to another until the final one seemed to release her from her stasis. She curled into herself as her unending tears continued to pour from her. She shook her head in denial, not wanting to believe any of them. Trying to convince herself none of it was true.

But she knew better.

Despite the time Dinah pulled her small body, which was still shaking uncontrollably, out of bed. She opened the big door of her bedroom quietly making her way to a door just down from hers. She quickly opened it peering inside. Unlike most of their rooms, this one was fairly spartan. Not much was in here except for the bed she focused on. Still shaking from her experience she looked at the person in it.

Taylor's head lifted from her pillow looking back sleepily. "Dinah? You okay?"

"Can, can I sleep with you tonight?"

Her savior blinked before she pulled up the covers. Dinah wasted no time diving into the warm bed and burrowing into Tayor as much as possible. She felt the covers drape over her as Taylor tucked her in. Not even how cold Taylor's arm was bothered Dinah as she tried to get control of herself. She was safe here, she told herself. Safe and snuggled into the one person she owed so much too. Taylor whispered calm reassurances as she continued to cry and shake. It was sometime before sleep found either again.

She didn't want to do what the visions said. She couldn't. But if it was the only way...

Long into the night Dinah cursed her power and cried, undecided as to what she was going to do with the devils choice her power was forcing on her.


	51. Skyllian Five 6

**Skyllian Five Story Arc: 6.6**

I stirred, feeling the weight next to me. The small body was clutching to me as if I was going to disappear the second it let go. Dinah, her small face troubled even in sleep which made me sigh. No child should bear that look while asleep.

I rubbed her back until her expression relaxed slightly. Her nightmares were getting more frequent it seemed. I wasn't sure if it was something to do with her powers or if it was all the crap we were in the middle of. I did know though, that she couldn't take much more of this.

_Just a bit under a month. Three weeks tops._ Once again I sighed. If Lisa delivered on her side of things, it might even be less. I know our plan was to lay low for at least two weeks as we got ready but around that third week, yeah. Game time.

I looked to the alarm clock next to my bed casting off my musings. It was way too early to be thinking about any of that crap. Instead I focused on the things that needed doing today. So far there were only two that I remembered but it was possible the others might have had something pop up at the last minute.

I turned to the sleeping girl in my arms giving her a soft poke in the ribs. "Hey."

It took a few to get her to stir but it was the tickle that got her to do more than groan at me. The smile on my face widened hearing her laughter but it didn't last as her eyes instantly clouded with troubles she kept to herself.

"Rough night?" Dinah didn't answer at first. Just tried snuggling deeper into my side. "More nightmares?"

Finally she nodded. "Yeah…"

"Know what used to help me when I had nightmares?"

Dinah looked at me skeptical that anything could help. I ignored the look as I smiled. "Waffles."

"Waffles?"

I nodded. "Yeah, waffles. But not just any waffles. Nope, they have to be buttery, soaked to the plate sticky waffles of doom."

My comment was rewarded with a giggle from the girl. "I'm serious. This is a proven time honored cure for bad dreams here. Waffles always work."

"For breakfast?" Dinah asked still giggling. "Steve won't make them for breakfast. Sometimes he makes them for dinner. You know, those little round ones you put in the toaster? Yeah, those, but he never made them for breakfast."

I blinked. "Alright, we can do that if you want but now I'm curious. What is he making you? Eggs? Oatmeal? Cereal?"

Dinah shook her head to each guess. After thinking for a few moments I had to ask. "Okay, I give. What does he make you?"

"Hot Pockets!"

"Hot Pockets." I slowly repeated.

Dinah nodded. "Yeah, Hot Pockets. I like the four cheese meat one and Greg, he likes the philadelphia one. Steve always makes him a ham and cheese. But sometimes he messes up and forgets which ones are which and we get the wrong ones but I like them all so that's okay. Greg doesn't like ham and cheese and he gets mad when he gets those. When that happens he usually make pizza rolls and he lets me have some of them too."

I narrowed my eyes at the wall before I remembered I left the Instant Swarm Box at Skitters. The only bugs I had here were my spiders. While at the moment sending in a wave of black widows sounded like a really good idea, I didn't. "Well, despite what they make for you, we're having waffles so I can prove they help with bad dreams. And not the little round ones but real waffles, alright?"

"Yeah, waffles are good."

"Alright, go get dressed and then we'll get started."

"I get to help?"

I looked at her smiling face giving her one of my own. "Of course. Half the fun of waffles is making them. So, lets go and see what we have to work with, yeah?"

"Alright!"

I smiled at her enthusiasm. It didn't take long to slip on some sweat bottoms or for Dinah to change. By the time the clock read eight we were well in our project. Just as I hoped, Dinah smiled a lot as we mixed different batters for our waffles. We made the standard kinds, blueberry, chocolate chip, and peanut butter, but ended up trying different combinations just for the fun of it. If nothing else there would be plenty of food for the others whenever they got up.

We just finished cooking up the last of the our experiment to make a chocolate chip peanut butter batch when Steve opened the door to where we set the guy's rooms.

"Man, what is with…"

I cut him off as I used the mixing spoon to point at him. "_You!_"

"Hey!" Steve yelled surprising me as he dove behind the console for the City Map. "Watch where you point that thing!"

"It's a spoon," I pointed out sarcastically at his overtly dramatic response. "What's it going to do, drip in your general direction?"

"Not that, the thing holding it! Man, you would think you'd know by now, you never, _ever,_ point something Leet made at anyone until you know what it does. Dude, that's like, living with Leet 101! There's no telling what will happen!"

I blinked as I looked at my hand. Now that he mentioned it, Greg never did say what exactly he did. Up until that moment I sort of assumed it was just a prosthetic. As I stared at my still pointing hand a bit wearily, Steve poked his head up to see if it was safe.

"Man, what did I do to deserve that kind of welcome first thing in the morning?"

His comment distracted me and refocused my attention on him. "Hot Pockets!"

"Breakfast?" All three of us turned to see Greg looking sleep tousled and blurrily looking around from the couch.

Sitting on the stool next to me Dinah covered her mouth as she giggled. I sighed lowering my head knowing, for the moment, I was defeated. "Yes Greg, breakfast."

"Awesome sauce." He muttered as he got off the couch. "I'm starving, hey, where's the food?"

"First, Hot Pocket's do not count as food…"

"I think you're seriously undervaluing the Hot Pocket here," Leet interrupted.

I ignored his comment as I continued. "...and you get fed when you tell me what you put in this tinker arm you made me. As for you," I turned to Steve who was still half cowering behind the City Map. "You're doing dishes."

"Awe man." I narrowed my eyes until he raised his hands nodding.

I turned back to Leet who was half smirking as he passed us heading to the fridge. Before I could question him more though Sharee came walking in from our section. "Oh, hey, waffles! Do we have any radishes?"

Between Dinah's giggling and the look on Steve's face I couldn't help but smile. "Come on, Sharee, you need to stop doing that. It's getting weird. I mean, really, radishes on your waffles?"

"Don't be stupid." She easily returned toward Steve as she made her way to the fridge. "No one puts radishes on their waffles. You use them to mop up what's left of the strawberry syrup. We have that right?"

Greg nodded holding both items to her. "Here."

"Thanks!"

"And just like that," I heard Steve mutter dramaticly. "The magic of homemade waffles is gone."

"Good," I smirked. "You can get started on the dishes then."

"Oh, come on! What is this, pick on Steve day?"

Finding whatever it was he was looking for, Greg straightened up. "Only on days that end in 'day'. That's today right? All legal bro, all legal."

Seeing the look on Steve's face I gave up and laughed. By the time Paige joined us Dinah and I were just about out of waffle mix and ingredients to make them. We had dirty plates covering most of the table, several stacks of waffles that we still hadn't gotten too, while Dinah looked like she attended cooking school with the Swedish Chef and Animal. But she was smiling, and hadn't stopped since we started.

"Hey, I miss the party?" Sebastian asked me as he climbed out of his workshop.

I shook my head as I wiped the last of the batter from my hands. "Not yet. Morning."

Sebastian gave me a quick peck on the cheek as he passed me. "Morning. Having fun?"

My smile widened as I looked to Dinah. She was talking to Paige and pointing off to the side looking stern. Judging by Paige's laughter Dinah was recounting Steve's reaction this morning. "Yeah."

"Good. You made breakfast?"

"Dinah and I were up early so we figured we'd treat everyone."

Sebastian nodded as he set the huge case he was carrying to the side. "Another 'nightmare'?"

My smile dropped a bit but I nodded. "Yeah."

He took a seat next to me as he looked at everyone. "I finished it. Might help."

"Their getting more frequent. I'm not sure anymore…"

"True. Wont hurt to give it to her though, right? Ready to spring it on her?"

My smile returned to full as I nodded. I directed my gaze to Steve. He was talking about something with Sharee but he looked up and caught my slight nod. He smiled and excused himself before heading back to his room as I turned back to Sebastian. "Are we set for the meet tonight?"

"Hour's ago. It's in the case. Ended up with a bit extra. Figured wouldn't hurt to throw it in anyways. Still can't believe gold is as valuable as it is here. Granted, it had value in my dimension, but not nearly as much as it is here. Omni tech pretty much took the big numbers right out of it long before even humanity reached the stars."

"I'm just glad it is though we're not going to be able to get away with pushing too much more into the world market. Even through black market channels. Eventually it's going to drop in value to the point of being worthless."

"True enough, but then again, we're not exactly doing that are we? Yeah, we put some in through Gamble to finance a few projects, but it's not like we just threw out a couple of billion credits worth of the stuff. Only ten million or so. We're should be set for now until this thing with Coils finished."

"I hope so."

We lapsed into silence as we waited. Not that we had to wait long. When Steve poked his head out of the guys hall door I took out the bag I had hidden under the counter taking out the things we'd need. I walked over to Dinah taking the seat next to her before putting the little cone shaped hat on her head.

We'd been planning this for over a week now. Honestly, we had no idea how we managed to keep it a secret from a precog but every one of us was pretty damn proud of it. Helped that dark energy interfered with her powers but there was always the risk it would slip through and ruin the surprise. Wide smiles shown on everyone except for Dinah as soon as the birthday hat was visible. By the time we started singing 'Happy Birthday' to her all of our smiles looked fit to crack our faces. If Dinah looked stunned before, she looked absolutely shocked when Steve came walking in carefully with a cake that had twelve candles on it already lit. The whole time Dinah looked around at all of us in stupefied surprise as silent tears streaked down her face. Even after the cake was sat before her and our song finished. Her candles still fluttered about ignored.

"I-I didn't think you guys knew, I mean, I didn't say anything…"

"Come on, Little Mint. What kind of crazy ass weird uncles and aunts would we be if we didn't know when your birthday was?"

"Or," I smirked. "In Steve and Greg's case, weird distant cousins. Don't think I've forgotten about the Hot Pockets, dishes boy."

"Damn!" Steve grumbled as Sebastian stepped forward.

"Before you blow out your candles, I have something for you."

"You guys got me presents too?" Dinah asked apparently still struggling with our little surprise.

"Of course." We chorused.

Sebastian took a knee next to her. "Mine first, because I'm the Commander, and it's the Commander's prerogative to appropriate important events to make himself look good." At Dinah's watery giggle he leaned closer to her. "It's in our officers rule book and everything. Not kidding here. Best perk of the job."

"This is from Taylor and me." Sebastian stated as he drew out the necklace from inside his pocket. "It's something from where I'm from. I actually had one when I was younger and we thought you would like having one of your own."

There, dangling from the slim silver chain was a tech looking thing. It was a couple of inches long and sort of looked like a tuning fork but without the handle. At the base of it where the chain connected there was as open circle. In the circle two rings swirled in opposite directions. Within them as small blueish spark that easily reminded us all of Sebastian's powers.

"This is a Wish Relay. A miniature model of the Mass Relays we used. Tradition was, anytime you made a wish, you blow it into the relay and it will carry it to where wishes go to be granted."

"Oh, it's so beautiful. Does it really work?" Dinah asked him with wide eyes as she cradled the gift.

"Try it when you blow out your candles. You will know if it does."

Dinah held the little relay as she closed her eyes. Her face full of a concentration and determination that should just not exist on a twelve year old on her birthday. When she opened them she held the little trinket toward her candles and blew with all her might.

From the tip, a very small spark traveled upward looking almost like a live wire until it reached the swirling rings. There it flashed in a small burst of blue light. Dinah's face lit up almost as much as the device did.

"It worked!"

Sebastian smiled at the wonder on her face as he fastened the chain around her neck. "Told you. Always keep your Wish Relay close to you. Just in case you need it."

"Oh, I will! Thank you so much!"

I don't know what was more adorable. Dinah giving Sebastian a rib crushing hug or the uncomfortable look on his face as he returned it. I decided in the end it was a toss up. After a moment Dinah reluctantly moved away only to be assaulted by everyone else as they held out presents to her to open. I made room for the well wishers as I moved back to the kitchenette.

From where I stood I couldn't stop smiling. The whole lot of us were probably demented psychologically scarred and social whack jobs, but at this moment none of that mattered. At this moment all that mattered was that little girl was having a real birthday, with real presents, and was having the time of her life. It may not have been _right,_ but it was the best we could do.

"Cherish these moments." I shivered slightly as Sebastian whispered in my ear. "It's these things we fight for. It's these things that keep us together when the shells are flying and friends lay bleeding around you. It's hard to remember sometimes but this, this is good. This is the kind of good we fight to protect. I'm sorry the road we walk is dark, but that's a soldier's life. Things like this? This is what keeps us sane, clear headed, and fighting. _This_ keeps us human."

I nodded completely agreeing with him. He was right. This is what made it all worth it. I turned to him giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"I know."

"I know you do. Also, finished something for you too."

I raised an eyebrow as he surprised me by putting a pistol in my artificial hand. It wasn't just any pistol, it was freaking huge. Damn near twice the size of my old one. I looked questionably to him waiting for him to explain.

"Modeled after something I used back in the day. Thing about this pistol is that only three of us were ever able to use it. Wrex, Legion, and me. As you know, Wrex was just tough like that. Legion was built to use heavy weapons while I, well, I was upgraded to the point I could. We called it the Paladin. Five rounds, kicks like a krogan, and has the enough punch to drop a Marauder in one shot if you shot him in the face. With your augmentation, you can use it. Come down to the workshop for some target practice and we can get it calibrated just right for the suspension in your arm."

I looked to the pistol for a moment before I nodded slowly. Good things wouldn't protect themselves. There was still a lot we needed to do.

"Wow! Zombie Apocalypse Four! This the one with the electric baseball bat that explodes the zombies heads when you hit them, right?"

I spun around looking daggers at the only idiot who would have given her such a gift. "STEVE!"


	52. Skyllian Five 7

**Skyllian Five Story Arc: 6.7**

"Yes, Mom. No. Yeah, I told Robert yesterday… Yeah, I know. No. Yes I made an appointment. I see Dr. Basil. Wednesday next week. Yeah, it's the soonest he's available. Yes, I got a ride. Yeah, same Dr. Basil Sarah used. I know Mom…"

Sharee rolled her eyes at me as I made my way to the fridge. Omni tool lit showing her silver and dark grey color scheme as she made a talking motion with her hand. Soda retrieved, I looked around the room seeing only Greg at the moment. I wasn't sure exactly what it was he was doing, but there were several vid screens floating around him. I didn't realize I was below decks that long but I guess I was. There was still several hours to go before we'd have to go to the meet so there was still plenty of time to do something fun with Dinah for her birthday. First though I headed to see what Greg was up too.

"Where is everyone?"

"Shepard's in his workshop..."

"Yeah, I just came from there."

I raised an eyebrow at how Greg just continued like I hadn't spoken. "... Sharee's on the phone over there. Dinah's in her room trying to get today's lessons done so she can play some of the games we got her, and Paige went topside. Something about needing some color or something. Steve's sitting next to me."

I looked at the empty spot next to him but didn't comment. Instead I pulled up a stool, a bit concerned. "Research?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah. Apparently helium-3 isn't as easy to make as I thought it would be."

"Um, Okay. Not sure I understand that, but just to clarify, helium-3 isn't dangerous right? Like, oh I don't know, could-possibly-nuke-the-city-if-you-mess-up dangerous?"

"Dunno. Can't experiment with it until I figure out how to make some. Probably though. Shepard said it worked in conjunction with dark energy through a kind of hyper controlled nuclear fission, so yeah, I could probably nuke the city with it."

I meant it as a joke but the way he stated that so factually had me a bit stunned. "Okay, you know we live here right? In the city we're talking about I mean. Nuking the city is bad. Just thought I would throw that out there."

My comment finally got a reaction out of him. Even if it was only a small tilt to his mouth. "Like I'm the only tinker on the planet who can dream this shit up."

"Okay, seriously not helping here. Those tinkers don't build stuff under the floor of where my bed is. They can blow up their own cities all they want, but I'd rather not be known as the girl who let a tinker nuke Brockton Bay. What do you need this for anyways?"

"Couple of things. With some iridium we can make a heavy weapon Shepard called a 'Cain'. It's funny you mention nukes. The Cain is kinda like having your very own portable tactical nuke. Just smaller and without all that nasty radiation stuff. Helium-3 is actually pretty clean according to his notes. Other than that, its a fuel source. Can damn near use it for anything really if you got enough of it. He's got notes on all that too."

"This is for the ship, isn't it?" Greg's smile was all I needed to see to know I was right. I sighed. "Fine. Just...no nukes."

Greg shrugged his shoulder. "Shepard will be disappointed, but sure. I'm good with no nukes."

"OKAY, yeah, you were right about Robert. Can we please drop this now?"

Both of us turned to Sharee to see her pacing back and forth biting her thumbnail. I didn't even realize she was using an earpiece until she turned in her pacing. "How long has that been going on?"

"Dunno. A while I think. Hey…" Greg started to ask the empty spot beside him realizing there was no one there. "Oh. Guess for a long while then. I was pretty sure Steve was here a moment ago eating some of leftovers from breakfast. If he's not then I guess I got lost again."

I couldn't help but ask. "Your power messes you up that bad?"

"Yeah. Always has. Get an idea in there and I can lose days trying to figure it all out." Greg returned easily. "Weeks if the idea is big enough. Like when I was trying to build the transporter? Had the idea one day, woke up and it was like three months later. Freaked me out. Thought Steve was messing with me until he showed me the newspaper. Steve had to fill me in on all the stuff I did because I couldn't remember any of it. Did all kinds of stuff. You know, experiments and shit. Apparently that's what took me so long. Some the components weren't easily available and I had to turn stuff into other stuff and run experiments to make sure it all worked. That's exhausting and usually if I have to do a lot of it I'll pass out or something. It's what Steve says anyways, I don't always snap out of my power when I wake up. Not unless I'm done.

"Anyways, that's why I like Shepard's tech so much. He knows what all this stuff is and my power lets me make things without having to do all the other stuff. Since my power still makes it I don't remember doing it, but Shepard's been teaching me the basics so I'm starting to get it."

I shook my head. "But you can only do it once?"

"Well, I can only do it once _right_ from scratch. That's the really weird part of my power. If I have blueprints, like with Shepard's tech, it'll work just fine. Doesn't matter really what kind of blueprint either since I've used them before and things worked great. Just so long as it is a step by step blueprint precisely detailing shit. It works even better if I have a blueprint for every single component with the main one pointing to the sub blueprints. But if I don't have them then the first time my powers like, all right! New Stuff! But for the second or more? It's like it gets bored and can't be bothered.

"We used to get around this by video taping me when I got lost in my power. Then Steve would watch the video using his skill masteries to figure out what I did and we'd make blueprints. Didn't always work though. Especially if I had to convert something a bunch of times into something else. Even if it did, the new stuff usually didn't work right. Now we have Chatika and Shepard to help so things are a hell of a lot more stable."

"Okay. No… Yeah, I'll call you when I get out of Dr. Basil's office. Okay. Bye, love you too."

I looked to Greg, giving him a smile before heading over to Sharee. "Just do me a favor? We have enough people wanting to hurt us. Try not to make it easy on them by nuking us before they get a chance, okay?"

Greg chuckled as I got up from the stool. "Yeah, nukes are bad and all that hippy stuff. No worries."

I shook my head as I walked over to Sharee. Finished with her call it looked like she decided that she needed leftover waffles with caramel and what looked like yorkshire pudding to recover. "That sounded rough."

Sharee gave me a strained smile. "Love the woman, but she's very opinionated."

The sound of the door opening diverted my attention just enough to see Paige walking back in wearing a very small swimsuit with a beach towel over her shoulder. I turned back to Share who had a bit of a frown on her face. "So, doctor's appointment?"

"Yeah. Chatika did the scan that confirmed things but her databases are pretty dry on stuff. It's best to go see an actual doctor and Dr. Basil is who my sister used when she had Beth."

I nodded agreeing with her as Paige took a seat with us opening a soda of her own. "Did you want some company so you won't be alone?"

"Steve said he'd take me." Sharee muttered thoughtfully. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought much about it except for the look on Paige's face. Not that I needed more than her wiggling eyebrows or knowing smirk to clue me in there was something there.

I smiled awkwardly. While Emma and I used to hang out back in the day, that was almost two years ago. The kind of stuff we talked about for our 'girl talk' hadn't yet evolved to boys by then. Until recently I'd been pretty much isolated from anything like this. Sitting here with Sharee and Paige I realized that up until they joined us, I really didn't have much positive interaction with other girls. It was… nice. Nice to be have something normal like this. Awkward, since I felt completely out of my element, but nice.

All this was missed by Sharee who continued as if she didn't get lost in thought. "Said he didn't think any of us should be running around solo right now. You know, considering how the gangs are being all quiet and stuff. Not that I don't appreciate everything but I'm kinda nervous about it so just Steve will be good."

Caching on I nodded to her points. "Sure. Completely understandable."

"That's IT! I just need to create a cascading molecular decay within lithium! A neutron bombardment would work perfectly to create that reaction to release the helium-3!"All three of us turned to Greg to see him standing wide eyed looking like a kid on Christmas morning while laughing madly.

"Is anyone really surprised that Leet not only has a serious 'Mad Scientist' vibe going, but also has the laugh down pat?" a smirking Paige asked.

"Nope," Sharee and I chorused.

_XxXExiledXxX_

Jugson Point. I'd been here once before but that was years ago and I barely remembered the place. What I did remember was it was a very open curled sandbar. As I placed my playing cards on the folding table Renegade and I were using, I couldn't help but think I wasn't missing much by not remembering more.

"Gin."

"Okay, I'm teaching you Skyllian Five. I can't play this game for shit."

I laughed as I shuffled the cards before handing them over. "You can't play poker with just two people. Your deal."

Renegade grumbled but dealt the cards. My bugs still hadn't found anyone around so I picked up my cards and we continued to wait. There wasn't much light but there was more than enough for our night vision optics to let us see by. When we arrived we set ourselves in about the middle of the most open area here. It was a risk being so exposed like this but we hoped it also demonstrated to Faultline, whenever she got here, that we didn't have anything villainous planned. The cards were just a way to pass the time as we waited. We got here ridiculously early so it wasn't very surprising we had to.

"You sure you're okay with this?" I asked as I sorted my cards.

"It's for the best. If they honor their side, I'm willing to give them the other half of what happened to me. I think this whole thing is way bigger than we suspect."

I nodded. I agreed with him but played devil's advocate anyways. Just to get it out there. "We'll lose face. Maybe their respect."

"We'll lose more if they ever figure things out. Look at Tattletale. While I don't think she would give us up, she can't be the only thinker who can figure things out."

"Agreed. Sorry to put us in this mess. Just seemed the best way to get the information."

Renegade nodded as he drew. "It was well played actually, and had I been in your position, I might have done the same. But this is hindsight talking. Now we own things and go forward."

I opened my mouth to say something when I felt them arrive at the edge of my range. "We're live."

"Thank god. This was getting embarrassing."

His comment had me laughing as we packed away our cards. Table and crates we left where we put them as we stood and faced where I sensed Faultline's people coming from. We didn't have to wait long before we finally caught sight of them. Unsurprising she brought all her people. I had to concede that had I been in her place I might have brought my whole squad to. All of them arrayed behind her as they approached us.

Once they we were all together I gave one more look through my bugs to see if we were alone. Once I confirmed no one else was sneaking about I nodded to Renegade. He returned my nod before placing the case on the table and opened it.

Spitfire whistled even as Newter's eyes seemed to bulge. Gregor didn't seem to care one way or the other. Neither did Labyrinth. For her part Faultline just nodded seeing the rows of neatly stacked unstamped gold bars we revealed.

Even as I kept my focus on Faultline I heard Newter mumble. "That is the second sexiest thing I have ever seen."

Beside me I sensed Renegade's shoulders jostle slightly so I figured he heard the comment too. My eye twitched but I didn't react. Not yet. I'll get him back for that later.

"Most villains can't be trusted to deliver on their word." I took the thick vanilla envelope she handed to me. "I find myself very happy that our dealings so far have been straight."

I nodded a bit uneasily as I opened the envelope. Inside were a lot of printouts of various capes. Case 53s all including the four in her crew. Unsurprising information on their powers was redacted but just having them included scored Faultline serious points with me. There were also other pictures, articles, and even a host of what looked like internet forums and other such things. It was all exceptionally well organized and definitely showed that it was something she put time into assembling.

"Sadly, I find myself of the same opinion."

"Sadly?"

"Yes, sadly. I find myself in the uncomfortable position of needing to clarify something." I carefully stated as I resealed the envelope. "Yesterday I allowed myself to fall into the trope of believing that the ends justify the means. In our case, I allowed a misconception that led to advantage to over rule my ethics because I was dealing with a villain. A prejudice, while I think we can agree is usually accurate, should still not be excused. Nor is it one that I look kindly on when directed at me. "

I noticed Faultlines people stiffen and ready themselves as if they expected a fight. I ignored it for the moment as I tried to figure out how I was going to spin my confession. In the end I just took the plunge. "I am not a Case 53."

I heard some mumbling from her crew but Faultline just kept her mask focused on mine. "While I do not apologize for the deception, I do for the necessity of it. While I am not a Case 53, one of my people is and this was the first solid lead we had to what happened to him. I could not pass the opportunity up."

"But, you're blue…"

My wince at Newter's statement went unnoticed under my helmet. "A ruse necessitated by the meet. A way of keeping our opposition unbalanced. Nothing more."

"Why own up to it?" Faultline asked. "This was a clean trade. Documents for gold. No need to tell us a thing. No need to lose face."

Renegade spoke next. "Because, I'm the Case 53 she was protecting."

All eyes turned to him in surprise. Renegade continued when no one spoke. "Everything Matriarch stated was true except for whom it applied to. I will say I am not like the rest of you. Aside from the fact I still have my memories, the other difference is that I don't have altered physical discrepancies that would showcase me as a Case 53.

"The reason we are telling you this now is because you came to deal straight. Like you, that is something we can appreciate."

Faultline nodded slowly. "I generally don't like being lied too, but that is a reason I can respect. Not something I get to say a lot in this business but there it is."

"Another reason is that we have a mutual interest in this matter." I continued. "We talked about it earlier this evening. Since you have the inside track it's more likely you will get information before us. We decided to own up to our deception despite that it might cost us the chance to learn more. If we can look past this, then perhaps we can extend our deal."

"I will hear you out but I'm not committing to anything yet."

"I understand. So, here is what we're offering. First, there is more than the agreed on sum in the case."

"How much more?"

"Quarter of a mil, give or take fifty grand. As I said, we are interested in information along these lines. Should you find something, we'd like to be the first to know outside your crew. Also to help in the search, Renegade can tell you more accurately what he knows as well as the other half of things."

For a few long moments Faultline regarded Renegade. "Other half?"

Once again Renegade took control of the conversation. "I was not born on Earth, much less this Earth. Where I'm from, humanity wasn't confined to this one planet. We were part of a community with other races that stretched across the entire galaxy. At the time of my last clear memory I was dying among the rubble of a massive super weapon we used to defeat an enemy more numerous than all the sand under our feet."

I had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing. I didn't need to see their faces to know exactly what they looked like. I remembered when he told me something similar and there were times even now I had a hard time believing the stuff he said. After a long silence Faultline summed it for everyone. "That is a bold statement."

"_That _isn't even the hard to believe part."

_XxXExiledXxX_

I opened the door peering inside. Dinah was fast asleep, and for once, looking peaceful. As quietly as I could I shut the door. If anyone needed a good nights rest, she did. I quickly made my way back to the living area. I sat aside my helmet finally freeing my hair before once again opening the envelope we purchased and taking a seat at the table.

As I started going through everything Sebastian took the seat next to me putting a hot cup of coffee in reach. Seeing it I groaned. "I want that."

"Figured you could use it after that drive."

"Hmm. Thank you."

"Your welcome."

I drank the wonderful cup of caffeine as I watched Sebastian go through the documents. By the time he started rereading some of them I felt awake enough to talk about them. "What do you think?"

"Lot's of conspiracy theories in here. Dead ends, vague references. This is promising though." Sebastian laid out one of the forum snips. It looked like a blog post. "This was posted about three months ago. This guy was raving about someone called 'The Dealer'."

"What was he dealing?"

"Powers."

"Bullshit." I blurted stunned.

Sebastian shook his head. "Not according to this. This guy posted he paid the Dealer thirty five thousand for a vial that would give him powers. See here, claims to have gained slight brute toughness, telekinetic abilities, and small but growing powers to manipulate air currents."

"What did Faultline find when she talked to him?"

"Nothing. He was killed two days after this post by two unknown capes. Yeah, here's the police report on it. Whoever was contracted to do the job must have been told to make an example of him. That's a lot more than was necessary to get the job done."

I winced at the crime scene photos. "Nasty, but yeah, I think someone wanted this guy shut up as well as to send a message not to talk about whatever this is. What about the Dealer?"

"Vanished without a trace about the same time."

"Ominous. You know what this looks like don't you?"

Sebastian nodded his head as he looked at one of the pictures. It was a grainy enlargement of the same tattoo on his back. "It means someone has discovered how to create powers in people. They then either made a business out of it, or someone found out and stole some of their product and decided to make some money. Regardless of either outcome, whoever this is has been experimenting on humans attempting to perfect their technique. According to what Faultline found, Case 53s have been showing up often enough to be noted but in the last few years it's been decreasing. So they have either perfected their recipes, or they have discovered what was causing the deformations."

I reached over placing my hand over his. "What do you think this means for you?"

"If I had to speculate," Sebastian stated very slowly. "I would say I am an experiment."

"That wasn't quite what I meant, but what do you mean by that?"

"First, this is not the work of someone without an agenda or the means to carry it out. Trust me on this, if there is one thing I learned from my dealings with Cerberus, it is what humanity is capable of if they wish to ignore all conventions. Whoever is doing this is organized, they have an agenda, and they have an end goal. They have absolutely no scruples, morals, or ethics aside from those that will achieve their ends. Judging by the fact I am here at all means they have access to other realities as well.

"Now, if we take all that as hypothetical fact, then it is safe to assume that once they have discovered how to make normal people safely have powers, they are going to want to take it to the next level. Remember that article I found that described the Manton Effect?"

I nodded. "The power limitation thing right? Yeah I remember. It confused you because it basically described a base line that crossed all power types. Aside from a few capes our powers can't affect a living being unless that is what the power is about."

"Right. What confused me was that I didn't see a reason why someone with telekinetics couldn't crush someone's heart inside their chest or for those who can create force field to use them offensively. I can't crush someones heart with my abilities, but that has more to do with how the manipulation of dark energy works than anything else. I can manipulate the molecular bonds that keep a persons body together but I don't do that often because it's taxing. Until I read about the Manton effect I assumed powers operated under the same premise. Capes could, but didn't because it was taxing.

"But now I know different. Most capes exist within a set of limits that, for some unknown reason, exist for all. Except for a select few."

"I'm following so far but I can't say I understand what you're getting at."

Sebastian tapped the picture of the symbol as he continued. "We have here an organization that has studied, researched, experimented, and created a means to give people powers. Why do that? Obvious reason, to create capes. Who would take up that offer? People who didn't have powers but wanted them. What would anyone gain from creating capes? They would gain capes. Take a good look at your society Taylor. What is at the heart of every aspect of it right now?"

"Holy shit."

Sebastian nodded. "Now, imagine being able to tell someone, I can not only give you powers, but I could give _powers_. Anyone who gained from this would feel indebted to them. It might even be part of the service. So now we have an organization who not only knows how to give people powers, but more than likely secretly control them in some manner. The implications are clear. However, the trick to all this is how do you keep control over your powered minions and make sure they do as they are told?"

"By giving someone above them even stronger powers and having them enforce discipline." I whispered as I started to see where he was going.

"Right in one. That means, who ever this is, they're not done experimenting. They might have gotten it factory ready, but we are no where near their end goal. They need even stronger capes closer to the top. And to keep things balanced, each of those top level enforcer's needs to have someone who can check them."

"You think you were meant to be one of those?"

"If my theories are right, and I'm not committing to anything until we know more, there are two likely reasons they chose me. The first is they intended to wipe my memory and program me for what they wanted me to do. I assume they would do this because they have a cape I counter perfectly which would give them control. The other reason scares me more than I want to admit."

I took hold of Sebastian's hand as he once again turned to the symbol. "The other reason they chose me could be they didn't mean too. Considering everything we suspect, it is entirely possible that they did not realize I would exist as I do. That makes me think that they might have been conducting an experiment to push powers past the Manton Effect by trying to dig deeper and unlocking it at it's core. If that is true then I am not Sebastian Shepard. Whoever I used to be died on an operating table when they did this to me. Somehow, by accident or design, they unlocked his powers and memories in me. Not real, just an echo..."

As he explained his voice got lower and lower. His expression fell to a the point I became seriously worried. I moved out of my chair to kneel next to him. He was still looking lost at the picture. I placed my hand gently alongside his face bringing his unfocused eyes to mine. "Hey, okay, I'll grant you with everything we suspect it's possible some of this is close but the fact is we don't know anything as fact yet. Either way, we'll get through this, alright?"

"And if I am just some kind of mnemonic clone? Taylor, if I'm not Shepard, who am I?"

I smiled softly at him. "You told me before, it is our choices that make us who we are. That is what defines us as sentient beings. We are going to get through this, but no matter what we discover, you will always be Sebastian to me."


	53. The Dead Line 1

**The Dead Line Story Arc: Annette Interlude**

"This is hardly the time for this discussion, Steve."

Keeping pace with me the young man next to me shook his head. "I don't care if you're about to meet the President, hell, I don't care if you're about to fucking kill his ass, we need to talk about shit."

I sighed as I stopped to wait for the crosswalk to signal pedestrian crossing. Around us were several well dressed men and women trying their best to ignore the rough looking young adults amongst them. Since the day was so warm I decided against even bothering with my fake arm. Long sleeves would have made me miserable before too long. Instead I just used a wrap to cover the all too obvious cybernetics my shirt revealed. Between the obviously missing appendage and the scar on my face I didn't exactly look like the 'accountant' type. Add to that I was wearing my favorite hip hugging jeans and a short top that showed off the tattoo across my lower back and the difference between us was night and day. Steve was dressed like he just stepped out of one of the toughest urban area in the city and not necessarily without a fight judging by the artfully torn sections of his own jeans and shirt. It was safe to say that we were attracting attention enough without having this argument in the open. "Steve…"

"I'm serious Taylor, you always come with us. It's been our thing! Not only that, but I want to talk about this thing they're calling me now. I didn't ask for it and I'm not cool with it."

I rolled my eyes. "It's just making things official. It's not like you haven't been doing it anyways."

"That's not fucking point and you god damn know it! It's not right."

The little neon sign finally changed. I immediately started walking forward briskly. I easily noticed when the other pedestrians gave us a good lead before following, even if Steve didn't. "Someone has to be…"

"Fuck that! Nope, we are so not going there. I didn't put up a fight over it before because we had a limited window to get out of orbit undetected, but we're back now. I'm telling you I'm not cool with this. Taylor I can't…"

Across the street I stopped walking not caring if the people following us would have to move around as I turned to Steve. "You have to. You know I can't. Haven't in a while or we wouldn't be having this discussion."

Steve looked like I kicked his puppy. I smiled sadly before leading him to the side and away from the main traffic heading our way. Once out of earshot for the most part I put my hand on his shoulder. "I know what you want to hear, but I haven't made my decision yet. To be honest, I haven't thought much about it in a while. No need to until it gets built. Did you get everything needed to finish it?"

"Man." Steve sighed as he shook his head. "Yeah we got it. Eezo, helium-3, all the little stuff we'd been missing. Everything's refining or being refined into what we need now. Week tops. Figure another or two and it's done."

I smiled again before heading over to the table where I was supposed to meet Annette. Plenty of time then. I went to pull my chair out but was beat to it by Miguel. I rolled my eyes at him but thanked him taking the offered seat.

Steve sat down across from me. A slight frown marring his face even as he nodded in his greetings to Miguel. "We're not done with this."

"Not right now; Annette just crossed over," I replied sternly as I started to get irritated at his persistence.

Steve smirked when he noticed it. "There's the Pirate Queen we've all been missing lately."

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath even as I smiled slightly.

"True, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make. We miss you."

"Hello Taylor," Annette greeted as she turned a confused look to Steve. Not surprising since I'd always come alone before. I hadn't planned to change that, either.

"Hi, Annette. This is a friend of mine and he was just leaving," I returned with a pointed look at Steve.

"Fine," Steve grunted before rising from the seat. He gave Annette a once-over before he smiled softly at me. "She looks just like her picture. I'm serious about what I said; we're not done with this yet."

"Alright," I caved, as I was pretty sure he'd known I would with Annette watching us. "We'll continue this later."

"Tonight. I'm coming by your apartment and we're talking about this. If you try and lock me out, I'm hacking my way in."

I snorted as I shook my head at his antics. "Bring pizza and the door might be unlocked."

"Pizza works. Numb nuts ate the last of ours somewhere around Jupiter. That was last week. So pissed; you have no idea. The usual?"

I could see the scene in my mind at what most likely happened when he found out. For the first time in what felt like a long time I laughed. "Yeah, just no sneaking in pineapple this time. Completely ruins it."

"Says you," Steve scoffed as he turned again to a stunned Annette. "Ms. Hebert, it was good to meet you. Sorry to greet and run, but if you haven't heard yet, when she says to do something, usually best to get to it."

"Grayson, actually…" Annette uttered as she took Steve's hand.

Without missing a beat, Steve nodded to the correction. "Grayson, huh? I'll keep that in mind. You ladies have a good talk. I'll see you tonight, Taylor."

Smiling, I nodded as he finally walked away. Still looking stunned, Annette slowly lowered herself to the chair Steve just vacated. "That…"

"Is Steve." I finished for her.

"Steve. As in Uber? From your story?"

I nodded. "They just got back. He was filling me in on a few things."

"Back. You expect me to believe he just came back from Jupiter?"

"Of course not," I answered as I shook my head. "Did you want to order lunch now or in a bit?"

"Oh." Annette muttered softly. The silence stretched between us for a moment before she either decided to ignore my comment completely, or chalk it up to the insane ramblings of the living train wreck she couldn't stay away from. "I'm not actually hungry at the moment…"

"Okay. Everything alright?"

Annette blinked still looking a bit punch drunk. After a moment she nodded slowly giving me a small uncomfortable smile. "Yes dear. Ah, Yesterday you were telling me about how badly your boyfriend reacted to what you discovered."

I nodded once again picking up my story. "It shook him pretty badly but if there is one thing about Sebastian, other than he knows a dozen ways to kill someone with a spork, is that he recovers quickly. He was back to his old self the next day."

"That's rather abrupt."

"Thank you Carlos." Before I could open my drink to add some lemon to it, Miguel was already doing it. I shook my head again. "You know you don't have to do that right?"

"Least I can do for you Ma'am. Let me know when you're ready for lunch." He returned easily as he turned to Annette. "Ice tea, lightly sweetened for you as well."

"Oh, thank you but I didn't order anything yet..."

Without saying another word the man left us busing an empty table on his way. I smiled seeing him do so. As hard ass as the man was in a fight, he was so much more happier on this earth and away from all the things that haunted him than I think I'd ever seen him.

"Oh goodness, he's one of yours, isn't he?"

I continued to smile but didn't confirm anything. Instead I picked up where I left off. "Sebastian's always been quick about recovering from unexpected surprises. Had to be in his line of work. By the next morning he had processed what he needed to, come to terms with it, and was focusing on the next task at hand. Not that there was much to do except for monitoring our various automated projects. We did some research but over the next few days it was stone quiet on all fronts.

"We hung out mostly, which was sort of surreal. Just like normal teens I'd imagine. Watched some movies, played a few of Steve and Greg's games. The gangs stayed away and did their thing aside from a few scouting runs along the old ABB lines. Kaiser took out most of Lungs old heroin processing warehouses but that was fine by us. We never intended to continue running them. I might have mentioned a few times that none of us really had much love for drugs in general.

"Heroes showed up now and then doing their patrols. That actually surprised us since usually the docks was a no man's land for Protectorate Heroes unless something was already going on. They usually showed up too late to do anything. I guess I should be a bit more generous since Brockton Bay was a pretty big city and there were only so many heroes but, anyways. General crime in my territory dropped drastically once I took over. Those crimes that managed to slip through were dealt with thanks to Rorrim and I. Like I said, pretty mundane stuff."

I took a long drink. "Hard to remember everything we were doing back then. So many projects but most of it was automated through Chatika. You would be absolutely astounded how much an A.I. with a couple of hundred drones can do to get things done. I do remember that by the time Wednesday rolled around we were getting a bit antsy with how things were going. Not sure if that was because of the lack of action or if we were just feeling the calm before the storm. Like a weather ache that slowly builds up, until you hear that first bolt of lightning and think, _finally_."

"That is a rather grim way to look at a situation."

"True." I conceded. "One of the highlights of that time was Sebastian surprised me by asking me out. I mean on a real date. Not like we'd sort of had before. As I've mentioned, we hung out a lot. You know, stakeouts and stuff. We had dinner together plenty of times, cards or just talking the night away about things. Working on one project or another. Sometimes just the two of us, sometimes not. This time was different though."

I chuckled. "It was actually really cute. I was sitting at the City Map going over a few things on some data pads when he tapped me on my shoulder. I swear, he looked about as uncomfortable as I had ever seen him until he just blurted it out. One look around the room clued me in that the guys put him up to it since it was so unexpected and so un-Sebastian."

Judging by her chuckle, Annette seemed to find the image amusing as well. "I was so embarrassed but at the same time completely flattered. That he did this in full view of the others did a lot for both of my reactions. As sad as this is to admit, it was the first time I had ever been seriously asked out by a guy. I can honestly say, I was not prepared for it. I mean, here I was the Pirate Queen of Brockton Bay, Matriarch of the baddest sons of bitches in the city, and the cape responsible for breaking the ABB and taking it for her own, reduced to a studdering flustered girl because her boyfriend asked her on a date."

Annette laughed with me as I continued. I barely got the words though my self mocking laughter. "I almost ruined it when I tried stalling for time by asking what he had in mind."

"You didn't!"

I rolled my eyes at her reaction. "Hey, up until he asked the only time a guy paid any attention to me was a prelude to something bad happening. A set up or something that Emma put them up to or something like that. Gut reaction, stall for time to figure out what the angle was. Like I said, almost ruined it but I think Sebastian understood. He explained he thought we could go to the Boardwalk or see a movie. If that didn't appeal to me, then dinner somewhere other than takeout on a rooftop. Which was our usual accommodations when we ate out in the city. Once I realized what I was doing I agreed and ended up getting swept away by the girls to get ready before I even knew what was happening."

After another long drink of my tea, I smiled fondly. "The fuss they made out of it was unreal. Thankfully they let me shower on my own but after that I might as well have been a living doll for them to play dress up with. My hair was brushed, curled and fluffed to their satisfaction. I must have tried on a dozen different outfits. Paige and Sharee did most of my make up while Dinah made a fuss over what jewelry I would wear.

"The biggest complication to the whole thing was my arm. It wasn't like I could walk around either missing one or with it completely exposed without drawing attention. That in mind I ended up with a tight top of Sharee's that showed far more of my midriff than I was comfortable with at the time. Over that a light long sleeve shirt only buttoned where my top ended. Paige was about my waistline so I ended up with a pair of her jeans that hugged my hips in an embarrassing way. Dinah must have talked to one of the guys in advance because she had an elbow length flesh toned glove for me. It actually did a great job of hiding the fact it was metal and not being very noticeable unless someone looked really hard at it.

"So, primped and ready, I was pushed out of the room so the girls could see Sebastian's reaction to my appearance. Steve and Greg must have helped Sebastian because instead of his usual look, he was wearing something more inline with what I'd seen other guys wear. Fad at the time was artfully ripped jeans and shirts. He compromised on the jeans but not the shirt. Though it wasn't one of his that I remember."

"Sounds like your friends set you two up right and proper. Did he like your new look?"

"Yeah, I think it was safe to say he did." I smiled widely as I remembered. "Stood there just staring at me for long enough that I fidgeted. Wasn't until Steve elbowed him that he snapped out of it and smiled. I heard giggling and high fives behind me telling me the girls got what they wanted out of it. Steve and Greg looked pretty smug about the whole thing too. Sebastian smiling made it worth it enough that revenge was pretty far back on my list."

"So, how did it go? What did you guys end up doing?"

"Well, after we dropped off Steve and Sharee so they could go to her doctors appointment we got started. Ended up watching a comedy about a couple of guys that reminded us of Steve and Greg. They find this vulgar and sarcastic little alien guy and get into all kinds of trouble trying to keep him away from the Government people who wanted to get him back. It was funny and we had a good time with it. Sebastian's comments about what humanity thought aliens would look and act like made the movie more than worth the price of admission.

"We had lunch at some burger stand I can't even remember the name of now. It was everything I thought a real date would be like. No cape stuff, no talking about our pasts. Just enjoying each others company, laughing and having a good time. We even went for a walk through the boardwalk just taking in the sights and being two teens enjoying ourselves."

Annette smiled knowingly at me. "Sounds perfect. How did it end?"

Her questions completely killed the mood as I absentmindedly traced the scar that ran from the left side of my nose down to my jawline. "I was shot in the face by a sniper in the employ of the Protectorate."


	54. The Dead Line 2

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.2**

The first clue that my first real date was officially over was the flare of a kinetic barrier I didn't even know I had, bursting. The second was my head being forcibly jerked sideways riding tandem to the pain that bloomed along the left side of my face. I fell hard to the ground not understanding what was going on. It wasn't until I raised my hand to where I was hurting that I noticed the last clue.

Blood. My blood.

I heard Sebastian yelling my name but I was still looking at the blood on my fingers, not comprehending why it was there in the first place. Pandemonium reigned over the Boardwalk. Around me people ran in all directions seeking cover or escape from the whatever it was that got me. A literal plague of insects seemed to have taken over everything. Things were knocked over, people fell. Screams of terror and panic shattered the light hearted atmosphere that existed only moments ago. It wasn't until I saw Sebastian's blurry face that I started to pull myself together.

His relief that I was alright faded quickly as he assessed my condition. His eyes studied me in a grim calm that did a lot for centering my own scattered thoughts. When his eyes rested where I was injured he frowned. I felt him lay his steady hand against my face and try to close the gaping wound there. "The barrier deflected most of it but it's still bad. I'll need to cauterize this."

I nodded as best I could. "Do it. Do you know where my glasses ended up?"

I held still as he activated his omni tool. "No I don't, and by the way you hit the ground they could be anywhere." I nodded accepting their loss before I sent my consciousness throughout all my bugs to look for the shooter. Every bug in my full range stopped their chaotic movements to crawl or fly where I directed them. If the Boardwalk looked over run with insects before, it was nothing compared to what it looked like as my swarm took shape giving me full awareness of everything. I searched as Sebastian used a micro laser to seal my wound. I was so focused on finding whoever had ruined my first date that I didn't so much as twitch at the pain or the smell of burning flesh as he worked.

"When we get back to base, I'm going to find out what games Leet doesn't have and get them for him. I don't care if I have to break into his favorite game company and hack their servers, I'm getting him something for this. I had no idea he installed a barrier system in your arm but I have never been so thankful to be surprised. I thought I lost you..." I heard him swallow thickly as he finished burning closed the wound at my jaw. "Any luck?"

"No," I patted his thigh letting him know I was alright, or at least that I was still here. I heard impacts against whatever cover Sebastian had my back to. Gunfire? I couldn't be sure but I thought so. I could feel something killing my bugs in straight lines from the edge of my powers reach all the way to where we were hiding but I didn't hear the iconic sounds I expected. The fact I didn't told me a great deal more than I liked. "He must be outside my range. The only thing I've found is scared people trying to get as far from here as they can."

Too many of those scared people were still close to us. Using my crawlers I created little arrows pointing away from us to where I hoped safety would be. For those who ignored my signs I created menacing clouds that buzzed angrily. Some of the civilians around us were too panicked to do anything but huddle in fear. I didn't like doing it but I had my bugs bite and sting them to get them moving. It didn't take long for me to herd most of the people who were caught up in this a full block away from us and the trap we found ourselves in.

Even as I was doing that I condensed my swarm around our cover until anyone more than four feet away would have a hard time seeing anything more than human like shapes huddled here. Hopefully that would help keep the shooter from hitting us as well as conceal our identities. I swallowed as I pushed aside the thought that it might already be too late for that. Instead I focused on the here and now, more specifically, on our tenuous situation. Whoever this was seemed to have a silenced high powered long range rifle. Whatever this was, it wasn't random. This was deliberate. The shots were centered directly on us which could only mean one thing.

Assassination.

"We should go ourselves. We're way too exposed out here."

I nodded but as soon as I moved two shots tore past each side of our cover. Whoever it was seemed to either know exactly what we were thinking or was very experienced at this kind of thing. I pushed my bugs harder trying to find him. Pointless I knew but it was that or sit here and wait to get shot again. It was then I noticed our cover was nothing more than a kicked over table surrounded in Sebastian's powers. I ignored all the hero merchandise around us as I snarled my frustration trying to think of a way we could either run or get close enough to strike back. The problem with striking back was I had no clue where the shooter was other than a rough direction. What I needed was a weapon...

Suddenly my arm jerked forcing me to stop leaning on it. As I held it away from me I heard several mechanical noises coming from it until four ports ripped Sharee's shirt as they opened from my forearm. Superheated air began to slowly leak from them causing the shirt to smolder before Sebastian ripped it off me. The glove was completely ruined, not that I noticed it when the holographic panels lit around my forearm ending in a pair of disks spinning ridiculously fast. One over my hand, the other just in front of my fingers.

_*Activation; Complete. System… Charged. Weapon status: Green. Firefly Online.*_

I stared at my arm. "What the hell did he put in this thing!?"

Beside me Sebastian laughed. "No idea! Let's see what it does!"

"Son of a... I should have told him no nukes weeks ago... Can you tell where the shooter is?"

Sebastian took a quick look before ducking back. "Forty nine degree elevation, distance about five hundred yards. If it was me, that is where I would be. Best line of sight and well outside your range."

While I was a crack shot against anything in my range thanks to my bugs, this guy was going to take a bit more to get. I nodded to myself as I set a few fliers precisely along that route Sebastian's directions gave me. That matched up roughly with what my bugs were telling me. "Okay, got it."

"I'm your rabbit. Go on three."

I nodded again bracing myself to dive away. "Ready."

"Three!"

Sebastian rolled away to the right while I went left. I heard him grunt before he managed to get behind the cover of a stall he was aiming for. Sebastian didn't yell as if he was hurt so I pushed it out of my mind. As I came out of my roll kneeling, I took aim as best I could screaming and willing this thing to work. "FIRE!"

I don't know what I was expecting, or if I was expecting anything at all as I knelt on the pavement. I do know that I wasn't expecting the shock wave to knock me on my ass nor was I expecting that all I would get out of this was a very small green light rocketing away from me. After that, the last thing I was expecting as I scrambled back to my cover was for that little green light to create what looked shockingly like a reality bending burst of force that leveled a good portion of the target area.

Seeing the destruction I'd wrought, I couldn't help but whisper, "What the shit..."

_*Warning; damage. System powering down. Firefly: Offline. Auto Repair Protocol, Initiated.*_

I watched stunned as my arm returned to what it always looked like. I didn't snap out of it until I felt Sebastian pick me up by my other arm and start dragging me away. "Come on, we need to get to Skitter's."

An impact tearing away part of a lamp post we just past had me shaking my head as I changed our course. How the hell did I miss him with that? "No, that is the last place we go. What we need to do is get away from all these civilians and go to ground."

"We need our weapons and armor!"

"I know, but look around us? This is the fucking Boardwalk! If someone didn't realize we were capes before, they sure fucking did when my arm turned into a damn tinker cannon! We need to vanish, now. Hopefully before someone gets a look at our faces. That means the docks!"

We had to stop again as another shot almost had us before we could cross the street into the alley there. I turned to Sebastian. "That shot came from a different place. So either this guy flys, teleports, or we have more than one shooter. We cannot compromise our safe house. We'll go to ground until someone can get to us but we can't do that around here. This is the one place I guarantee we'll see record response time from the heros. Not to mention if our identities weren't compromised before, they sure as hell are now. One look at me and everyone will know I'm a cape. You're not exactly subtle with your power flaring around you like that."

Sebastian growled slightly as he looked backward. I didn't blame him. This whole thing was insane. While I definitely had my share of enemies I couldn't get my head around how they figured out who I was out of costume. More worrying was the fact they didn't seem to care about taking a shot at me in the middle of the most widely uncontested neutral ground in the city while I was in my civilian ID. As I prepared myself to make a dash to cross the street I froze as I realized something mind killing.

"Sebastian, if they know enough to match Taylor with Matriarch they might know who my dad is." I felt sick to my stomach as the implications that statement ran through me.

I heard him curse before he looked at me. "They might not..."

"And if they do? Damn it, I left home to prevent this from happening! Sebastian, I hurt him doing that. I hurt him bad but it was the only way I could think of to keep him safe! I can't lose him to…"

Before my panic became a full blown attack, Sebastian put his hand on my shoulder. "You wont. We'll shake this guy and check on him. Push come to shove, I'll knock him out and we'll drag him back to base and explain things alright?"

I nodded jerkingly. I let Sebastian's words soothe me and tried to think of a way we could get out of this faster but kept coming up blank. All I could think about was my dad and what if they already had him.

_XxXExiledXxX_

"Leet."

Greg continued to solder the connection he was working on before he turned back to the blueprint stretched out before him. "Wait, that can't be right. Why would you need two coils?"

"Leet!"

He picked up the print turning to the next page. "Oh, okay. That makes since at least. Yeah, alright."

"LEET!"

Greg returned to the circuit board he was working on finishing the connection before putting it aside for later. Instead he picked up a round object wound numerous times with copper wire. After a moment of study he nodded satisfied by what he saw and started to insert the component into the box sitting on his right. The little white drone that floated toward him was completely ignored until it shot a small bolt of electricity into his back.

He screamed in surprise half falling onto his workbench before spinning around. The little drone hovered at eye level looking innocent did nothing to disguise the fact it was what shot him. Greg looked around the room confused half torn between reality and his powers needs. "Chatika? Wasn't I just in the kitchen? Wait, better question, where's my sandwich?"

As he looked around the room his eyes fell to his workbench and the empty plate on it. His eyes narrowed at the breadcrumbs innocently sitting on it seemingly mocking him for his lack of sandwich.

"Leet. Matriarch and Renegade are in trouble. They need you to get to them as quickly as you can." Chatika stated instead of answering him.

"Huh? Trouble? What's going on?"

The front of the little drone that looked like a lens glowed blue for a second when his eyes fell on the box he must have been working on. Greg shook his head trying to keep himself from falling back into his power before drone shot him again. Wouldn't be the first time she had to do that and by the tone of her voice something was going on that he needed to deal with.

"Matriarch and Renegade are under attack."

"Oh. Oh _fuck_. Wait, Steve's in town! Why isn't he running and gunning?"

For just a second he thought Chatika was going to sigh. How long was she trying to get his attention anyway?

"Uber and Rorrim are currently in PRT custody. They cannot assist in the current situation. You are the only combat specialist left who can help. You need to extract Matriarch and Renegade ASAP!"

"Say WHAT!? Did dumb ass go in costume or something?"

"I will electrocute you again if you do not pay attention, Leet. Matriarch and Renegade are currently under attack by unknown assailants in the Docks. The assailants are using long ranged weaponry and an unknown means of movement to press the assault. We can do nothing for Uber and Rorrim right now but you _can_ help Matriarch and Renegade. Matriarch is already wounded but stable. However, they cannot keep this up much longer without backup and equipment."

Greg took a deep breath letting it out slowly as he scratched his head at the bizarre situation he suddenly found himself in. "Aisha's in town but Taylor said she didn't want her involved in the heavy shit. So, then I guess it's Leet to the rescue huh?"

"I would appreciate it if you did not make such statements. The situation is ambiguous enough as it is."

He rolled his eyes before he froze looking at the peg board in front of his workspace. He reached out picking up the set of small keys looking intently at them as a plan began taking shape in his mind.

"Paige is still here for Dinah right?"

"Yes. Siren is aware of the situation and will take care of Vates while you are in the field."

"Good, good." Greg nodded absentmindedly. The slow smirk that formed on his face as his plan solidified would have made an internet troll icon proud. "Heh. I got this."

_XxXExiledXxX_

I tried not to shudder as my bugs crawled over my face and body. I wore a full body covering costume for a reason but at the moment options were limited if we wanted to protect what little anonymity we had left. Sebastian being wreathed in his powers kept his face distorted enough that he should be fine. Even if it was clear as fuck that Matriarch and Renegade were having a bad day to anyone who happened to see us.

At the moment we managed to finally get into the Docks after half an hour of dodging bullets and course corrections. I swear it felt like this guy was trying to hem us in or drive us somewhere. What he had planned or where I had no idea but it was getting old. Fast. I had yet to get a bug on him, but whoever it was seemed to like rooftops and moved from one to another so fast it was unreal. It was beyond frustrating.

We just managed to make it into an abandoned house before sniper started raining shots our way. I threw myself to the side even as Sebastian dove for cover of his own.

I counted the rounds noticing the pause was the same as before. "Okay, this guy is really pissing me off. How many bullets does he have?"

"Too many." Sebastian growled.

I nodded wearily as I chanced a look. Once again the streets were clear and we were deep enough inside the house that unless he came to street level he wouldn't have a clear shot at us. "He reloads after five. Tinker weapon you think? That would explain why we're not hearing him shoot, just the hits."

"That would be my guess. Chatika says Leet's on his way."

I frowned hearing the strain in his voice. "You alright?"

"Yeah. He's gotten me a few times. Barriers held so I'm not injured but keeping it going at this strength is taxing. I'm usually don't rely just on this but we don't have a lot of options right now. I didn't bring a combat model omni tool for our date."

I shook my head refusing to allow myself to think about what we were doing before this whole thing started. What we needed was an idea that would let us make the next block without having this guy taking pot shots at us.

"What about if you used it on a smaller area? Would that help?"

From the wall I was leaning against catching my breath I saw Sebastian slowly shake his head. "Like a shield or something? Same problem. It's a lot of area to envelope. Whoever the sniper is, is good. Better than I am. Figure if we leave anything exposed, he'll hit it."

I nodded as I abandoned that thought. Instead I followed Sebastian as we moved through the house. That sniper was damn persistent, I'd give him that. So far we hadn't been able to get more than two streets without having to backtrack or change routes to avoid taking fire. If he kept to the patterns we'd seen so far, then he already relocated and was waiting somewhere that would give him line of sight on us no matter how we left the house.

Seeing the back area of the house further complicated ideas of going forward. Like most of the houses in this area we expected there to be another one a bit behind this one. What we found was a pile that used to be the house we figured would be there. If anything it was more open than where we came from.

"We need to get across this to get to where Leet is supposed to meet us."

I shook my head. Everything ahead of us was rubble for half a block. I wasn't familiar with this area but I knew there were areas like this scattered all through the docks. Places where cape fights had left their mark. Just our luck to end up in such an area. I narrowed my eyes as I realized it wasn't bad luck at all. This must have been where he was funneling us the whole time. While the buildings behind us had gotten sparse, it wasn't this open. Open enough to make going back risky as hell though.

I sighed as I leaned against the wall. "We're not making it across that. We barely got through the last block to get here."

Sebastian nodded to my point. Probably already figured out what I did. "I'll give Leet new coordinates. Something behind us. We'll backtrack half a block back to those half demo'd townhouses."

I grimaced but nodded in agreement. Of all the bad options open to us, it offered the most cover of the area we just crossed. Likely our best bet to get whatever gear Leet managed to bring for us. "Yeah."

We pulled back deeper into the house before Sebastian took a knee. "It's going to take Leet a bit to get into position. Get your breath back before we make our run."

I sat down next to him putting my head against the wall. "Sorry. I was looking for people to make sure we didn't endanger anyone in our escape. I didn't even think about mapping out physical landmarks…"

"Happens. Don't stress over it. Adapt, improvise, move forward. All we can do."

I allowed Sebastian's calm to wash over me. I needed it and it helped me refocus. "What I don't understand, is how they figured out I am Matriarch. This is obviously an assassination attempt but how did they figure it out? We went out of our way to throw people off. I mean, we were so careful about everything..."

Sebastian nodded before he slowly answered. "I don't think they did."

"What do you mean? If it wasn't for the kinetic barrier he would have had me at the boardwalk with his first shot."

"I don't deny you were the target, but I don't think they knew you were Matriarch before the assassin pulled the trigger. I will grant you that whoever this is probably knows now, but not at first."

"You think this has something to do with you?"

Sebastian nodded looking thoughtful. "It makes more sense than we were betrayed. If we were betrayed, then this would be about Dinah. Since Chatika hasn't reported that our base has been hit, then this has to be something else."

"Yeah, okay. I can see that. What do you think this is?"

"I think someone knows what I look like out of armor. Very possible since until we joined forces I didn't bother with a helmet or covering my face during the few times I went out for supplies. I think they shot you to get to me. Maybe thinking that by isolating me it would be easier to capture or kill me. Maybe it's the people who put that tattoo on my back. Maybe an enemy I made before. Or, it could just as easily be that my identity was sold to any of our current enemies and this is retaliation."

I sighed. "So, fucking anyone really." Beside me Sebastian chuckled which got a wry smile out of me.

"Pretty much. However, I will say this one is clever. Always outside of your range, which is substantial. Long range rifle skills like this are not something a person just happens to pick up. This level of skill requires dedication. If we were in my dimension, I'd say ex Alliance Infiltrator. Maybe an Asari Commando since the assassin can move from one rooftop to another so quickly. Biotics would allow for that. Whoever this does not match any of the profiles we assembled on the powered people in the gangs we're at odds with. So I'm thinking mercenary."

"Make sense. Doesn't do us much good right now though."

"True, but after we get out of this, it will help us figure out who this is" I turned to Sebastian hearing that tone in his voice that sent shivers down my spine. "And when we do, I am going to kill him."

There was something about the way he said the word 'kill' that sent another wave of shivers down my back. It spoke of unending pain for whoever this was. I smiled weakly putting my hand on his leg. "I'm still alive. That is what matters the most, right? We're both still here. We're both still in the fight. Come on. Last stretch, yeah?"

Sebastian nodded as we climbed to our feet. I wasn't sure where Leet was but I hoped he wasn't far. Had to still be outside my range though. Unless he had some kind of tinker shit that was concealing him from me. Hopefully that was the case and we didn't have to wait long for him after this run. It was only a matter of time before the villains in the docks came looking for whoever was kicking up a fuss or the heroes decided to investigate past the Boardwalk. We just started to head to the front of the house when I paused. Standing next to me Sebastian watched as I concentrated on what I was sensing.

Whatever it was wasn't a car, too small but kinda like a car. It was also fast as it zigzagged it's way closer. I turned around looking at the open area behind our cover frowning. Whatever it was was heading right for us.

"Trouble?"

"I don't know…"

I heard it before I caught sight of it. The high pitch whine of some kind of engine running full bore and little tires squealing. My confusion continued to mount as the object approaching us broke into the open area making right for us. However it wasn't until it rocketed into the pile of debris of the house across from us that I realized what it was. My eyes widened and even without my glasses I had no trouble recognizing the hurtling object heading for us.

The little green go-kart ramped the fallen house at full speed flashing insanely in a maelstrom of psychedelic colors. I could hear bullets ricocheting off it as it flew into the air heading right for us with Leet sitting behind the wheel laughing his ass off.

"Move!" I yelled as I threw myself to the right even as Sebastian went left.

Leet crashed right into the house coming to an abrupt stop when he hit a support beam. I covered my head with my arms to protect myself from the broken fragments his entrance rained everywhere. I coughed at the dust kicked up even as I looked around hoping this house was in better condition than it looked. Thankfully other than a slight wobble and a few groans it held its shape and didn't fall on us.

Confident enough that the house wasn't about to finish what the sniper started, I turned to the laughing idiot in the go-kart. Thankfully he wasn't flashing anymore. "Oh MAN, why didn't we use these things more often? This thing is so much more fun than the tron bikes."

"You're insane!" I half yelled, half laughed in relief he was alright. "You could have gotten killed pulling a stunt like that!"

"Star Power baby! It's all good."

I heard Sebastian laugh as he approached. I shook my head doing so myself. "Of all the harebrained ideas to get here, you chose this one?"

"Hey, don't hate the cart. You know you want one."

"So not the point, Leet." I conceded. "Our gear?"

"Just like that? No, Man that was the shit! Or maybe, Damn good to see you dude! Fuck, just can't please some people. Do I look like Fedex to you?" Even as he jokingly complained he unlatched a suitcase he bolted to the side of the kart. He opened it revealing our omni tools. We made quick work putting them on.

"Also brought a couple of the mirror masks we've made for the henchies. Your armor was just way too much weight to drag across the city."

I nodded as my bugs moved away from my face so I could put it on. "Oh shit! What the hell happened to your face? You okay?"

"Fine." I grunted not wanting to think about it. "Any weapons? This guy likes to keep his distance."

I couldn't see his face in his armor but Leet paused for a second as if shocked. I must have looked pretty bad to get that reaction from him. After a moment to compose himself his helmet nodded. "Yeah, um attached to the top are cases with rifles."

I easily caught the rifle Sebastian tossed to me before flicking off the safety. I quickly activated my Tech Armor before turning to the hole Leet made. "Alright, let's see if this guy is willing to fight when the odds are more even."

I stepped out into the open not even bothering to hide. I turned facing the direction the shots came from only for my Tech Armor to surge slightly when it stopped the bullet that hit dead center of my forehead.

I narrowed my eyes triggering the magnification optics of the my mask to zoom in where the shot came from. Kneeling on a three story building I got my first look at our foe. Of all the people I thought might have been up there, the cowboy Chatika's V.I. showed us after the villain meet was about the last possibility I considered.

Just as my screen settled on him he looked up from the scope of the big rifle in his hands. Our eyes locked leaving me with no doubt he knew I was looking at him. After a moment of staring each other down across the distanced between us, he turned to someone beside him. I was so focused on the cowboy I didn't see him at first. He looked kinda like a ninja of all damn things. I assume the cowboy said something to the ninja because they were suddenly enveloped in a swirling darkness and vanished. I quickly looked around but wherever they disappeared to, it wasn't any of the rooftops around us.

I swallowed thickly. This couldn't be what it looked like. I expected something like this from the villains in the city, but the heroes? Was this what it looked like or was the cowboy running his own game? I didn't know but I knew one thing. I needed to get to my dad as quickly as I could. If this guy was willing to take a shot at me in the middle of the Boardwalk, there was no telling how far he was willing to go.

I turned to Sebastian noticing his mask was facing me. "He's gone. I need to get to check on my dad."

"We're pretty far from any of our vans…"

"Take the cart." Leet offered as he joined us.

I nodded as I walked over to it. "Tell me what I need to know to drive this thing. The sooner I check on my dad the quicker we can find this guy before he gets someone hurt trying to kill us."

I heard Sebastian sigh but he didn't argue with me despite the fact I knew he thought this was a bad idea. I took the seat in the little cart as Leet leaned in telling me what I needed to know.


	55. The Dead Line 3

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.2**

"Ayres."

"Director. I was told you wished to see me?"

"Indeed. Please take a seat." Ayres nodded and did as he was asked. The fact Miss Militia was standing behind the Director couldn't have been a coincidence. Once seated, he politely regarded Director Piggot, keeping firm control to project nothing but his curiosity as to the surprising summons.

"It has come to my attention that you authorized the apprehension of two citizens today. Specifically a Mr. Steven Baker and a Miss Sharee Rockford."

Ayres nodded. "Mr. Baker is the civilian name for the super villain who calls himself 'Uber'. Uber is in league with Matriarch and Renegade. When the tip came in that Uber was seen entering a doctor's office, I sent a unit to take him into custody. I have not been informed of any trouble on that front. Last report I was given stated he surrendered quietly. As for Miss Rockford, I was informed she entered with Mr. Baker, so I requested she be taken as well as a person of interest. I have confirmed that Matriarch has at least two unknown female capes in her group and Miss Rockford does match the physical characteristics of one of the unknowns. Regardless if she is or not I still believe she should be interviewed. We might not get anything out of her, but we might."

"Where did this 'tip' come from exactly? I find myself curious as I can find no records of it entering through our standard channels." Piggot asked maintaining her well known authoritative air.

"It didn't," Ayres confirmed easily. "One of the first things I did when I took over the case was acquired the services of several, shall we say, merchants of opportunity who are known to keep their ears to the ground. The tip was routed to me directly through one such individual. I've worked with the man before and so trusted his judgement on the validity of the information."

"I see. I would like to see official documentation to support this by the end of the day. Carrying on, to the first part of your explanation. I am aware of Uber's civilian identity. Regardless that a few of our law enforcement personnel know his true identity based on a prior capture, he has not, as the capes say, been publicly 'outed'. Taking him into custody while in his civilian ID threatens the status quo."

"The operation was done nice and quiet." Ayres calmly explained. "He was approached by a plain clothes PRT officer while in the waiting room and given his options. Surrender quietly, or risk exposure. He surrendered and was taken to a side alley where he was quietly restrained in containment foam and taken away. No one witnessed a thing."

"Indeed." Piggot quietly stated. "And what was the plan if he decided not to surrender? Worse, what would have happened had he decided to fight? Or god forbid, take hostages?"

"I would have ordered our unit to disengage and allowed him to retreat. I will admit I gambled with that move, but it paid off and we have taken a villain off the streets. Maybe two."

"Maybe two? Ah, yes, Miss Rockford." Ayres raised his eyebrow when Piggot picked up one of the folders on her desk and opened it. "College student currently attending Bay University. Majoring in Psychology. A very respectable three point nine grade point average. No criminal record to speak of. Not even a sealed juvenile record. I have failed to find even a single parking ticket issued in her name. I would love to hear what evidence you have that this young woman is a super villain in league with Matriarch."

Ayres controlled his reflex to wince. "As I stated, she walked into that office with Mr. Baker. She is a person of interest in this matter—"

"So," at Piggot's interruption, Ayres stopped. "You expect me to hold a frightened pregnant woman, who has shown no parahuman ability, in custody for the minimum twenty four hours because you think this model citizen is somehow connected to super villians? Based, incidentally, on the sole fact she just happened to be in the company of a young man who she may, or may not, know is a villain but was out of costume? A young man who, according to the report on my desk, when approached by my people was teaching a five year old how to play an old video game on a portable console and showed absolutely no villainous intentions or actions? A young man who was more than likely waiting for his girlfriend to finish seeing her doctor before they proceed to their next activity?"

Even when the director leaned toward him, Ayres maintained his composure. "Tell me Ayres, is this something you expect me to do based on these 'facts', or have I missed something?"

"The final decision of whether we hold Miss Rockford is, of course, your prerogative. You asked me why I ordered her taken, and I have given my explanation," Ayres carefully reasoned before leaning forward himself. "However, I feel I should also remind you that you were well aware of my reputation for playing fast and loose with the rules if it means capturing my quarry. My gut tells me that regardless of her record, Miss Rockford is one of the capes in league with Matriarch. At the very least she is involved in some manner. I stand by my actions."

"That is not going to help me with the shitstorm that will erupt if it becomes widely known we allowed the apprehension of a cape, or two if your theory proves out, in civilian guise. Much less that they were taken after a doctor's appointment."

"A black eye that will fade in time as we both well know. Have Armsmaster interview her or at least have him watching the interview to ascertain the truth. Admissible in court or not, we will know if she is connected in some way to the situation. If she is, then we have a viable lead that may give us something substantial on the problem your city is facing. If she isn't, I will personally issue a statement of apology to the press over this and take full responsibility for all repercussions."

"A bold move. Are you that confident of the outcome?"

Ayres nodded firmly. "Absolutely. She is connected in some way to Matriarch."

Director Piggot nodded slowly. "Very well, but do not think I will not personally hold your feet to the fire if this does not pan out. Now, moving back to Mr. Baker. This is something that will not be taken well by the cape community. No matter how you spin it."

Ayres shook his head. "While the heroes may think this was a dick move on my part the fact remains they will comply with the will of the Protectorate. Mr. Baker has done himself no favors with any of the city's villains. The fact he's allied with Matriarch pretty much guarantees they're not going to care we picked him up out of costume. As for public reaction, while I expect them to be mixed I think overall reaction will be in our favor as we did take a villain off the streets. It shows that the Protectorate is taking a hard line against villainy and we are willing to do what needs to be done to safeguard the masses."

"I suppose we will see. However, from this time forward all future requests for use of PRT personal in any capacity will go through Miss Militia. She will make final determination if any actions you deem necessary will be allowed for the foreseeable future. Are we clear, Mr. Ayres?"

"Of course." Ayres conceded. "I understand completely."

"Good. One more piece of business. Are you aware of the incident that took place a few hours ago at the Boardwalk?"

"I was downtown dealing with an informant until half an hour ago but I have heard rumors. Something about a cape disturbance at the Boardwalk right? Is what happened somehow connected to the case?"

"Quite. Initial reports stated that for reasons unknown, Renegade and Matriarch were on scene. However witnesses present could in no way validate that claim based on the profiles you created aside from the use of parahuman powers. What happened to cause Matriarch to flood the Boardwalk with her insects or for one of them to demolish the fourth floor of a parking garage is also unknown."

"Any other damage or injuries?"

"Some, however, I think this might interest you."

The Director turned to her computer. A few clicks later and the overhead monitor activated showing a still scene that started playing. The video was obviously from one of the security cameras. The scene showed a small crowd of mixed people going about their day enjoying the fine weather that was unusual for this time of the year.

Ayres turned to Piggot but received no reaction before turning back to the monitor. The scene played for a few seconds more before a girl fell to the ground. Instantly the young man with her ignited in light distorting vortex creating a some kind of shield around them. Even without audio it was easy to tell people screamed as they scrambled away from the parahuman event taking place. Two almost didn't get away fast enough before getting hit by a huge table that came flying toward the parahuman who caught it. Ayres watched as the man laid it on its side as if to shield them from something before kneeling down to tend to the fallen girl.

Piggot paused the scene turning to Ayres. For his part he kept his eyes on the monitor intently. "I believe you should have no problems identifying who that was."

"Powers do suggest Renegade, but he looks a lot younger than I expected. The profile I have on him suggests someone in his mid to late twenties at the least. Who's the girl he was with? Do we have better angles to find out why she fell?"

"Not from the security cameras on scene. However, this was given to Battery while she was interviewing witnesses."

Ayres turned back to the monitor as Piggot brought up what could only be a cell phone video. The screen wobbled sickeningly before the owner steadied a young man walking closely with a girl. After one last wobble it zoomed in to the white legend on the back of the his red shirt.

Nintendo  
Rehabilitation  
Clinic

The First Step Is  
Admitting You Have A Problem.

_"Damn it! I wanted the camera. Screw it, I'll screen caption it or something. Okay, think that's got it. Man, I wonder where he got that? Do you think he bought it around here?"_

_"Do you have any idea how sad it is that you are taking video of that guy's shirt? We need to get you a girl man. Seriously, I'm getting worried about you…"_

_"TAYLOR!"_

The girl jerked before falling to the ground far too hard to be faked. The scene paused again just as the young man turned in horror even as his powers erupted around him.

"Take that back a bit then move frame by frame. I thought I saw something flash before she fell." Ayres half requested staring intently at the screen.

The scene moved along at his request confirming his suspicions. Just as the girl turned laughingly to the young man a static like bubble appeared even as her head snapped to the side. Blood spray showed the reason for her fall.

Ayres nodded thoughtfully before turning back to the stone visage of the Director. "What caused it?"

"We do not know. None of the interviewed witnesses reported hearing anything nor did they see anything out of the ordinary until this event. However, I think this segment will answer some of the other questions you have."

Ayres nodded turning once again to the monitor. It was from another security camera. This one was elevated which suggested it was probably from one of the light poles. The scene started like the others. A normal day at the boardwalk until the girl fell and the teen she was with flared. The difference became apparent relatively quickly when the insect maelstrom took place. All kinds of different bugs were flying around chaotically. That only lasted a few seconds before they begin grouping into formations. As Ayres watched, a cloud condensed swirling around the two behind the table until it obscured them to the point nothing could be seen. A second later the screen was covered by more bugs until it was completely blinded.

"So, the illustrious Matriarch that has your city gripped in her fist, is actually some highschooler…"

"Since Matriarch's appearance in the city they have rarely, if ever, been seen apart. So that would led some credence to that theory. Or perhaps Matriarch was around for other reasons and reacted to Renegade's displeasure."

Ayres nodded as he rubbed his covered chin. "That would be the question wouldn't it? Who's lead on the investigation?"

"Miss Militia."

He turned once again noticing the woman in question staring daggers at him. "What have your people turned up?"

"The investigation is still on going. We have reached no conclusions yet."

"I will of course have full access to anything that comes up?"

"Of course." Piggot answered.

Ayres nodded satisfied as he turned back to the monitor. "What's our official stance on the incident?"

"Right now, it is either 'No Comment' or 'The investigation is on going.' This situation will be sensationalized quite enough without the Protectorate giving out false facts. This is the first parahuman incident to take place on the Boardwalk in ten years. That it involves these two particular villains will even further blow it out of proportion. Already the media has taken to the scene almost as fast as Matriarch did. I would not be surprised if whatever we missed ends up on the PHO or in another media outlet."

"Understandable." He nodded before turning to the Director again. "If there is nothing else, I do have a lead or two I would like to check on before the close of the day."

At Piggot's nod, Ayres rose from his seat. However he paused when she called his name just as he opened the door. "Ayres. I am very concerned about the Boardwalk incident. Specifically the fact a young teenage girl, no matter who she may or may not be, was almost killed by what looks like a failed assassination attempt. Should I find any evidence that you had anything to do with this incident, no matter how small or seemingly innocent, I will personally fly to Washington to meet with Chief Director Costa-Brown. I guarantee you that when I return to Brockton Bay I will either have one of the Triumvirate, or a Kill Order with your name stamped on it."

Ayres nodded slowly in understanding. "Then I guess it's a good thing I had nothing to do with it."

Director Piggot's final word on the matter would have made an iceberg jealous. "Indeed."

_XxXExiledXxX_

I knelt on the ground waiting. This time of day I knew dad wouldn't be home so after a slightly harrowing ride in the unfamiliar go-kart, I ended up here. The union offices of Brockton Bay's very own 201. I waited a block away watching dad's car while I tracked the few people in today.

So far everything looked good. No one was creeping around. Well, no one except me. Dad was just finishing up some paperwork and the others looked to be doing the same. Everything was normal. I couldn't say if I felt relieved by that or worried that I was missing something. Just as I was thinking of moving closer, Dad got up from his desk before grabbing his jacket. I breathed deeply trying not to focus solely on him, alone. I couldn't afford target fixation right now. I needed to keep my senses as widely spread as I could. Just in case.

Nothing happened as Dad moved through the building. He walked at his normal pace, not giving me any indication he thought he was in trouble. I waited as his steps carried him to his car. There he paused, but I knew he would. He looked around several times. I knew he wouldn't see me and my bugs hadn't found anyone for him to either. Apparently satisfied he was alone he opened the door of his car, picking up the note I left him. Even from this distance I knew he was crying and I hated myself for causing it. I just hoped he listened to my note and kept the panic tracker on him at all times. I needed that assurance. To know that he was safe.

I sighed as I turned away. As much as I wanted to run to him, tell him everything and take him back to our base, I didn't. I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't come willingly. The only way I'd be able to get him there would be to Neural Shock him and drag him. I couldn't do that to him. Walking back to where I hid the go-kart I passed a plane of unbroken glass that showed my reflection. It caught my eye enough for me to take a moment and look.

The clothes the girls had loaned me were torn in several places. My over shirt was completely gone. Paige's jeans were in bad shape. My artificial arm was scuffed while what you could see of my skin under the dust and filth over me was just as beat up as the rest. The mask hid the worst of my injury which had already swelled up nicely, but the side of my face and my neck was covered in dried blood. I shook my head. No, it was better he didn't see me like this. It was going to be hard enough explaining the arm to him when we finished this thing.

I waited for dad to leave before I started up the kart and took off. My drive to where Leet usually stashed this thing passed in a blur. No one bothered me and if anyone thought it odd a go-kart was moving through the docks, nothing was done about it. From there I made my way undetected to the beach and to where Sebastian was waiting. Other than looking me over to make sure I hadn't taken any more damage he remained quiet as we completed the last stretch of our trek to base. Half lost in my own thoughts I appreciated the silence but it worried me as well. Even Leet was quiet. The silence between us didn't break until we walked into the CIC.

Paige gasped when she caught sight of us. Dinah launched herself into me causing me to stumble slightly. Might have fallen had Sebastian not steadied me. Leet walked around taking off his helmet looking at all the vid screens Paige had up frowning.

"Hey, it's alright." I felt Dinah nod but she kept her grip on me. Together I moved us forward taking off my mask earning several different reactions but I ignored them. "How bad is it?"

Greg turned to away from the news feed wincing as he looked at me. "Yeah… I think Mr. Doctor can reduce a lot of it. You'll still have a scar-"

"Not my face Leet." I interrupted. "I am more worried about the coverage over what happened."

"It's bad." Paige stated grimly. I turned noticing she was trying not to stare at my injury. "Damn Taylor, are you sure you want to do this-"

"Paige."

"Um, alright. Chatika…"

"Screen Five."

I turned to the indicated screen. It showed some news guy gesturing as he talked about whatever it was he was talking about. However the picture and the caption over his shoulder was all I needed to know. It was grainy and obviously taken at a distance but there I was, uncostumed covered in bugs with even more flying around me. Arm held slightly away from me as superheated steam blazed from its ports. It must have been taken right after I fired it but before my bugs could completely reform our swarm cover. The caption over the picture pretty much said it all.

_'Is this Matriarch?'_

"Fuck." I cursed as I looked at the other screens that were up. Every news station in the Bay was covering what happened. Interviews, discussions, angry news personalities feverishly gesturing as they made their muted points. "Can this get any worse?"

"Uh, yeah. Actually."

I glared at Greg who refused to look my way. "Excuse me?"

"Well, you know, didn't want to bring it up before with all that was going on but ah, you might have noticed we're a bit short here?"

I gritted my teeth trying to keep my voice down. "What happened?"

Paige answered though she looked like she rather had kept her mouth shut. "Steve and Sharee were arrested. I can't find anything on what happened and Chatika says that details are being kept off all but the most secure PRT channels. The only reason we know anything about it at all is because of intel gathered by some of our people."

I wanted to scream. To pull my hair out or something. Instead, I took a deep breath. I needed to act, not react. I nodded slowly to myself before slowly extracting myself from Dinah. "Okay. I guess it can get worse. I…"

"You are going to get treated for your injuries," Sebastian stated firmly. I turned to argue but stopped at the look on his face. "I know, but we can't do anything right now. We need to gather information before we can make any decisions. Get yourself taken care of and then we'll put a plan together."

I reluctantly nodded before heading to the infirmary. Greg followed along unnoticed as my mind burned in overdrive over how we were going to fix this mess. Greg didn't say anything until after I laid down on the bed still contemplating all our options. Any reluctance I had for engaging heros was long gone now. Attack us out of costume will you? Take my friends from me? Fucking arrest a pregnant girl at her _doctor's office!?_ Alright, if they wanted to take this to the next level, then that was fine by me. I'll treat them the same as any other gang in the city. No more gloves. No more making nice. No more neutrality. They want a war? Then they fucking _got one_.

At the forefront was the idea of attacking PRT Headquarters and taking our people back. Even with the Wards based there I was pretty sure we could find a way to storm the place to get them. Maybe something from Bakuda's arsenal to breach the outer walls first. Then it was just a matter of ripping the place to it's foundations until we found our people. Wound enough of them and they'd be too busy with them to worry about trying to catch us as we made our run. I'll drown them in a sea of bugs if that was what it took.

"Hey boss, do me a favor?" Greg's words barely registered to me as I continued to come up with options to deal with this situation.

Though it was possible they might not even be there. What if they were in the floating base over the bay? It was still doable if we stole one of their helicopters and spoofed our way in. I had the Instant Swarm Box so it wasn't like I had to worry about having plenty of bugs on hand. All we needed was to get our feet planted on deck. Then it was just a matter of causing as much damage as we could tearing our way through. Hell, we could take out whatever it was that kept the thing floating. I bet that would distract them long enough for us to search the place. Our armor sealed and was easily rated for the depth of the bay. Yeah, storm in, throw around enough explosives to ignite the water under it, get Sharee and Steve, and then vanish into the bay. As I thought about the kind of heroes they had available I felt pretty confident the Protectorate didn't have any hydrokinetics in Brockton Bay to worry about so that escape was as good as any. "What Greg?"

"Can you not do anything permanent to me when you wake up?"

The tricky part would be if they were in separate locations. Still doable I decided. Either plan, or both, would still work but we'd need to hire some help in that case. I was just wondering how much Faultline would charge for a jail break when Greg's question caught up with me. I blinked in confusion but before I could question it, I felt the needle pierced my neck and everything went black.


	56. The Dead Line 4

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.3**

The overheads swayed to the rhythm of my pulse as I fought, not just to open my eyes, but to _keep_ them open. Colors blended or outright mocked convention and did as they pleased. The light above me seemed to brighten or fade the way a drummer would counterpoint a guitarist in a rock band. It made my stomach turn and roll like the ocean around us in bad weather. I turned my head from side to side trying to find something fixed that I could latch on to without success. I didn't like this feeling. I didn't like not feeling in control of myself. In desperation I reached out to my bugs trying to find something to help keep my anchored. Except, I couldn't find any bugs. No, I could but they were very few, small, and hiding from something. Why would they be hiding? It distracted me enough from my condition that I latched on to it. It was then I finally started to get a sense of things.

One ant was in the deep tread of someones boot. Several flies sat still in old venting passages. As I concentrated on it, I could practically see the route they mapped. From there I noticed that some of my spiders had taken to the duct works themselves. They spun thick webbing creating ramps or ladders that easily allowed passage for crabs to navigate the ships interior.

Weird, but also kinda neat. I wasn't sure why my spiders were doing all that but it looked like they'd done it several times only to abandon routes to work on new ones. The crabs helped where they could but mostly just waited for the road to be paved. After a bit more spinning my spiders deemed the ramp satisfactory and the crabs began moving forward one by one.

Curious, I watched as the made their way through the tube. Eventually they arrived where several beetles were waiting. One of them moved through the slit in the vent cover and started waving its foreleg like it was trying to signal something. It didn't take long before one of the small helper drones came floating to the vent and removed the cover long enough for eight crabs to scramble through. After the last one passed, the cover was replaced and the drone went back to whatever it was doing before the beetle flagged it down.

The small shellfish strike team moved as quickly as they could across the open until they were concealed under something big. From there they separated moving as they did before until all were hidden in various covers in advantageous positions to the hidden ant. It wasn't until a fly landed on what I thought was some kind of thick cloth that any of the crabs made their move.

Moving slowly to make no noise it approached the fly. Once it was close enough the fly returned to its own hiding spot. Then the crab struck.

"MOTHER FUCKER!"

From inside the infirmary I heard the sound of weapons fire that cost me my connection to the crab. Already my spiders were moving to create a new route even as another wave of crabs started to make their way inside. The remaining ones waited.

A frustrated male voice broke into the din. "Damn it Greg! I have told you several times now and this is the last! We do not discharge weapons in the CIC! Give me that."

"Fuck you! You're not the one she's attacking!"

"She's unconscious Greg." I heard different voice state. Familiar and feminine. "She _can't_ attack anyone!"

Another crab scrambled forward making use of the distraction. Once again the fly landed for a moment before taking off and again the crab struck at the intended soft target.

"GOD DAMN IT!"

I lost my connection to that crab when something crushed it. "Where are they!? I've gone through this room and sealed every single way they could possibly get in here and they're STILL getting in!"

"Greg, that was probably the last one-"

"Bullshit! I fucking swear they're getting smarter. The last group came at me in three's and now they're in singles. They're here somewhere. Come on, Shepard, you can't leave me defenseless against these guys!"

I heard the comforting booming laugh of my boyfriend but whatever he said was lost to another scream from Greg as crab three made his run.

Chuckling myself I mumbled, "Chatika…"

The reply was so prompt it made me wonder if she was waiting for me to say something. "Yes Taylor?"

I looked to my arm seeing the I.V's. Or, I should say to the crab laying in wait under the folds of my blanket next to them. I smiled as my heavy eyelids finally became too much to hold open.

"Thank you but you can stop helping now."

"If you are sure…"

I pushed my will into my mini commandos sending them either away or back to the tasks I had for them before Greg drugged me. Except for the last of those in the CIC and this one crab. Him I left as a final surprise for Greg.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

_XxXExiledXxX_

The second time I woke things didn't look or feel like an artist rendition of a bad acid trip. My I.V's were gone and I felt clear headed. No pain, which was plus though I wouldn't say I felt peachy. A bit sore but overall so much better than before. I slowly sat up before touching my face. My skin felt tender and I easily felt the scar. Looking around the room I noticed a change of cloths which I eagerly put on. Finished I looked into the mirror getting a good look at myself.

I needed a shower in the worst way but I put that from my thoughts for now. The scar on my face wasn't as bad as I feared it would be, but was still noticeable. Mr. Doctor managed to reduce it to nothing more than a thin line that ran from the bridge of my nose, along my cheekbone to the back of my jaw just below my ear. I ran my finger along the slightly raised ridge of it just taking it in. Smooth, not rough like I thought it would be. The rest of me looked fine. I turned away from my image putting it out of my mind for now. I had other problems more pressing than my vanity.

I paused when I entered the CIC. Dinah was sleeping on the couch practically curled around her pillow. Someone tucked in a blanket over her. Probably Paige since she was asleep herself half in the holographic terminal she set up next to Dinah. Greg wasn't hard to find but I had to hold in my laugh when I saw him. He set up several chairs into a makeshift cot and was in the fetal position on top of them. He was long legged enough that one of them was half hanging off. The last commando crab waiting perfectly still directly under it with its little claws raised.

I debated what to do with him for a moment but left him be. If nothing else it will teach Greg not to sedate me without telling me first. Instead I walked over to Sebastian's slumped form. Like Paige he must have fallen asleep over his desk working on somthing. It was then I noticed something in his hand.

I carefully picked it up making sure not to wake him. It looked like some kind of visor or something. It was really light and whatever made up the single lens bar was transparent and looked like crystal. As I took in the fastenings for the sides where it would go over a persons ears I had to revise my thoughts. Whatever it was might have looked like crystal, but it was way too light to be that. As I looked closer I realized there was nothing there. What I thought to be crystal was actually just a holographic representation of a single lens.

"The Commander was making that for you." Chatika informed me. Her voice output barely audible out of respect for the sleeping people around us.

Still looking at the device I answered just as softly. "Why?"

"To replace your glasses. If you put on the visor, I will adjust it to match your needs. I can also supply various options for the H.U.D."

I turned my gaze to Sebastian's sleeping form. I shook my head slowly before leaning in to give him a soft kiss in gratitude. As promised when the I put on the visor Chatika did what she needed to do and everything became as clear as it was in my helmet. I decided not to add anything to it for now. Instead I pulled up a bar stool and sat myself in front of the main vid screen.

"Chatika."

"Yes Taylor?"

"Time to go hunting. Show me where we're at."

"At once."

In a semi circle around me appeared various screens. Those that streamed video were muted or directed into the ear piece of my visor. As I took it all in one of Chatika's drones floated to me with my omni tools. I put them on without much thought as I started organizing everything around me.

By the time the others stirred, it was pushing close to noon. Greg's panicked scream acted as their alarm clock when his leg finally lowered enough for the crab to get him. The chairs he rested on went flying in all directions causing various reactions from everyone.

Dinah pulled her blanket over herself grumbling about insane tinkers. Paige fell out of her own chair. The description of what she was going to do to Greg made me smile as well as worried me. Sebastian leaped out of his chair and had his pistol drawn so fast it was like he teleported. For his part Greg finally got the crab free from his heel and was using one of the fallen chairs as a club as he cavemaned the thing into the mat with a vengeance.

"NEVER, never again am I doing your dirty work, Shepard! Next time YOU are going to knock her out and YOU can deal with the fucking god damn CRABS!"

Sebastian laughed at Greg's harassed and frantic movements as he looked around to see if the coast was clear. "Okay, I'll grant you it was a bad idea, but-"

"No! Fuck you man. You suck. I'm not going through this again. Freaking crabs everywhere… I even dreamed of the assholes last night!"

Trying to keep in my laughter I accepted the cup of coffee from Chatika. With a quiet thank you I continued to listen and go over my research as Paige moved to the kitchen. "It's way too early for this crap. I need coffee."

"Whenever you guys are awake and ready we, should talk." Four pairs of eyes finally turned to where I was sitting as I slowly spun my chair around to face them.

Still looking frazzled, Greg's eyes widened as he pointed a frantic finger at Sebastian. "I'm sorry! It was HIS idea!"

I chuckled as I eyed Sebastian. "I figured as much, but that was after I woke up. This is why you do not sedate me without my knowledge. Not with how my power works. Greg's lucky that I didn't have much more to work with than commando crabs. Chatika informed me that the initial rush was from my black widows and she had to put them down. The spiders she missed were busy in the duct work but wouldn't surface after her purge."

"Fair enough." Sebastian agreed as he gave me a once over.

"That's it? I get tormented by crabs all night and I don't even get a 'My bad'?"

I directed a raised eyebrow at him before I deadpanned, "My bad."

"That is the worst 'my bad' in history. Couldn't you at least mean it a little?" Greg whined which made Paige snort her coffee. The look she directed at him had me wondering if she really was going to make him do something embarrassing as she threatened earlier.

I chuckled. "Moving on. We have a busy day and not a lot of time left to get it done."

I instantly had everyone's attention as Sebastian asked the million dollar question. "How so?"

"I have a plan."

"Why is it when you said, 'I have a plan', it sounded just like a terrorist saying 'I have a bomb'?" Greg asked as he slowly sat down.

Judging by the look on his face my smirk did nothing to alleviate his concern. Sebastian pulled a chair closer to me before taking a seat. "What did you have in mind?"

"_Hachidan Kiritsu_."

If anything Sebastian looked even more intrigued by my idea than I was to tell it. "You have my full attention."

"Oh. Great. Now they're both doing it…" I heard Greg mutter before he slammed his head against the table.

_XxXExiledXxX_

Sharee paced within the interrogation room they put her in. Thumbnail of one hand bitten to the quick with the other hand across her stomach as her mind raced. The room itself was fairly spartan. A single long table in the middle and two chairs. A huge mirror that was probably see through and a camera that kept track of her. In the mirror her reflection watched her sadly as she tried to offer reassurances.

How long could they hold her she didn't know. What she did know was that yesterday after Doctor Basil gave her the prescription for prenatal vitamins she felt so relieved that everything was fine. When she went to tell Steve she found him missing. Then the PRT guy asked her to come with him. That was when she knew where Steve was.

From there they brought her here to the police station where she was processed, photographed, fingerprinted, and asked a lot of questions. All of which she replied, 'No comment without my lawyer'. After that she was taken to a cell and told to wait only to be taken back to this room to be interviewed by no less than Armsmaster himself. Still, she did as she was instructed by the gang and repeated her comment about wanting her lawyer. However, she didn't want just any lawyer, she wanted to pick her own. Sharee figured that way they wouldn't be able to trick her into anything but by the time she decided on which one she wanted, it was already too late and she was stuck here for the night.

They let her make one phone call yesterday but it went unanswered so she left a message for her mom letting her know she was alright but was in trouble. Just in case they wouldn't let her call again she left the lawyers information and told her mom which precinct she was in. Considering how closely they were watching her, Sharee purposely didn't try calling Chatika, just in case these guys decided to listen in or had some way to track the call.

Once more she looked at the closed door before resuming her pacing. She wasn't stupid. She knew what this was about. She was almost positive someone either figured out she was linked with Matriarch or thought she might be a non powered minion. That or they thought Steve was her boyfriend and she was taken because she was with him. Maybe they thought the baby was his and they could use her as a way to make him talk or something.

Her circular thoughts were broken when the door finally opened revealing a well dressed man walking carrying a briefcase and a plastic bag. His immaculate appearance was the first thing that caught her off guard, and it set a stark contrast with the corner of one nostril and one of his cheekbones. It was a cut, but puckered around the edges where it had been burned, either with fire or some kind of acid. His black hair hadn't just been cut, it had been styled, his eyebrows shaped. He had long eyelashes and a small cleft in his chin. He was an exceptionally handsome Latino guy, in a light gray suit with a white vest beneath, and a red tie.

He smiled showing her very white teeth. "Good Afternoon. Miss Rockford yes?"

"Um, yeah. Who are you?"

"Quinn Calle." The man answered as he put down his briefcase and started sifting through the contents of the bag. "Your lawyer."

"Excuse me? I'm sorry but you're not the lawyer I asked Mom to get for me."

"Quite understandable. Charming woman your Mother. Spoke to her very early this morning actually. Very concerned about this situation but rest assured we will set it to rights."

Sharee narrowed her eyes at the man across from her. While she loved her mother very much, never would she characterize her as 'charming' under any circumstance. That he did had all sorts of alarm bells ringing. Unconcerned with her suspicions he continued to go about whatever it was he was doing as he continued.

"I have already cleared my visit with the local authorities so you may rest assured that our conversation is private. No cameras and no one on the other side of the mirror to spy on us. Everything you say to me will be kept in the strictest confidence."

"No, I don't think…" She started to say when she noticed what it was he was doing. Quinn had set a plate on the table. On the plate he added several small crab ragoons. As she watched he made a fuss over them before he once more turned his dazzling smile on her.

"Precinct food is rather bland I'm told. Your Mother informed me that you were rather fond of these and recommended a wonderful restaurant to acquire them."

As Sharee slowly settled into the chair she felt her eyes start to water with no indication they would stop. On each treat a single letter was cut into the crust. The way the man assembled them wrote a clear message.

wetake  
careof  
ourown

Any doubts she had about what was going on were smashed when she looked up to see Quinn Calle slide a jar of grape jelly toward her. She couldn't stop the tears from spilling from her eyes even if she tried.

"I'm an excellent lawyer, Miss Rockford. I've worked with more than a few big-name villains, as well as heroes who went astray. I will say this is the first time I have ever represented a non-parahuman, but I've been told I needed to expand my operations anyways. So you know, I have the rest of my firm backing me, and their talents are but a phone call away. Your Mother made it very clear I am at your complete disposal and to do all in my power to make these ridiculous accusations against your character go away. I assure you I have been well compensated for all eventualities. So, whenever you are ready, Miss Rockford, we can begin."

Sharee half laughed, half sniffled as she nodded. "Okay…"

_XxXExiledXxX_

Steve leaned against the wall of his cell. He was so bored. They didn't even give him a T.V. in here. It wasn't like he was a tinker to do something with one. Though as he thought about it, ideas for different scenarios popped into his head for what he could have done if they left one. Yeah, probably better they didn't. Hopefully they didn't pinch Sharee, but considering they nabbed him it was a pretty good bet they did since he was with her.

So stupid. He got lazy. That was the problem right there. He wasn't a C rank villain anymore. He wasn't some joke that heroes didn't care about or take seriously. Running with Taylor and Shepard brought the game to a new level and he was still playing it like he always did. Should have known better. Maybe then he wouldn't be in this mess.

Steve spent the morning hours wondering what the others were doing and if they would break him out. He hoped they would but the question was if they decided he was worth rescuing, when? Well, Greg would probably make a play to get him out but the catch right now was if or how Taylor wanted to do it. It wasn't like he would get the Cage', but then again, depending on how hard up they were to put pressure on the crew, they might. A Birdcage raid like they did with Paige? That would actually be kinda cool.

Steve tore himself from his daydream of kick ass jail breaks when the guard banged on the bars of his cell. He slid in a plate toward him. "Breakfast."

"Oh man, I got jailed on Hot Pocket day? Fucking sweet!"

The guard smirked at his comment before walking away without another word. Steve climbed out of his bunk and quickly picked up his breakfast. He only paused when he slid off the foil warmer.

we are coming

He stared at the words for a moment smiling widely. He didn't know what she had planned, but whatever it was Steve was willing to bet it was going to be _epic._

Steve whispered to himself using a voice unmistakable by anyone who ever heard his favorite comedian perform, before taking a huge bite of the ham and cheese goodness in his hand.

"Hot Pocket."


	57. The Dead Line 5

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.4**

Hachidan Kiritsu.

Different people had different names for the concept. Even where Sebastian was from. To the Turians it meant something like, 'The Rebounding Strike'. The Volus, 'The Equalizing Advantage'. As I thought about some of the things Sebastian told me I realized the Krogan didn't actually have a translation for it. For them, it was just war. However, for the Alliance, specifically for those who underwent the last two levels of the N program , it meant, 'The Eighth Rule.' Hit where the enemy does not expect. Strike with surgical precision. Cut them from all quarters. Bleed their will to fight until they can't. Take from them all they hold dear, and give nothing back.

No matter how anyone translated it, it all boiled down to the same thing. Thrice the blood paid for blood spilt. A leg for an eye, an eye for a tooth. The Eighth Rule was the law of retaliation.

As I walked up the steps to my destination my entire focus was on _exactly_ that. It went without saying why the N7's were so respected, as well as feared in Renegade's dimension. They trained hard, fought harder, and even if you managed to kill one, your victory tasted of ashes because that was all that was left after they were done.

I took a deep breath calming myself down. My bugs helped. Allowed me to maintain the calm edge I would need soon. However, I no sooner calmed down when I once again thought of the guy who started this whole thing going.

I still couldn't quite get my head around this situation but I was starting to. The cowboy, this 'Ayres', wasn't hard to find information on. What proved to be hard to find was anything we could use. He apparently spent the last five years or so troubleshooting for the Protectorate or other heroes hunting villains. A spotless record, if a bit dodgy. It wasn't obvious unless you went looking for it but it was still there to see. Ayres made a bit of a name for himself as one of THE villain catchers. The only time he didn't bring in who he was paid to get, was if they died through infighting with their enemies during the hunt. That, _that_ was the squicky thing.

Wherever this guy went there was almost always something nasty going on, or just starting to. New villains trying to establish dominance in a new area or well established villains crossing the unwritten rules. Then this guy gets brought in to head it off before it becomes something too big to handle. Each and every time there was always a sudden spike in conflict between the city's villain population. Villains start going at each other over old hatreds, new slights, or just going at each other. By the time the smoke cleared, only a few of the villains were left. The others were either dead or in custody with too few or no one left to help them.

The problem I had as I searched through the data was there was absolutely no ties to connect any of that to Ayres. Always he was there, yeah, but every single time the sudden rampant infighting was written off as nothing more than gangs doing what gangs do. In every case Ayres was heralded as the fucking hero who put a stop to it.

As I finally rounded the last of the stairs I stopped before the door at the end ignoring Leet panting behind me. Well, if Ayres wanted a fight, I was cape enough to oblige. That didn't mean I had to play by his rules though. Which was what brought me here. It was time to change the game.

I watched as Leet walked up to the door placing one of his devices to it before running the quarters to the edges. All five points held fast to the door through whatever means he came up with to do it. I didn't care about the details, only that it worked. After a few moments Leet turned to me and nodded.

"Shadow; status?"

"Imp's in play and I'm standing by. You should see the fuss Calle's arrival kicked up. He's only been in there ten minutes and already the comm traffic is crazy." Siren reported gleefully.

"Keep an eye on it. If he doesn't walk out of there with Rorrim, seize the place and _make _them let her go."

"Ah, my first real performance as a villain. You want me to make them dance naked or something? You know, just for fun? Cuz, seriously, they deserve it."

Imp instantly came in over the net. "If we're voting, I'm voting hell yes! Especially if you're going to do it to the guy I'm following. Mr. Eye Candy here has an ass I'd love to see jiggle."

I smiled even as I ignored Imp's comment. She was having way too much fun with the tactical cloak. "Whatever strikes your fancy Siren. Hopefully it won't come to that but if it does have at. Just nothing to deviant. Embarrassing works, degenerate does not."

"So more Dirty Dancing and less Moulin Rouge?"

I heard various chuckles over the com line even as I tried to hold mine in. At least she liked that movie even if Sebastian didn't. "Your discretion. Blackstorm; status?"

"Nice and quiet, Matriarch. My people are ready to prove themselves, just say the word."

"Hold for my signal. Claymore; status?"

Renegade instantly answered. "We're in position and standing by."

"As are we. All units, hold ready until I give the signal that we are set." I turned to Leet giving him a single nod. The two men behind me adjusted grips on their weapons in readiness as Leet pushed the button.

Suddenly the door flared a baleful red before vanishing. I rushed through quickly backhanding the surprised man who just walked past it. He spun slamming into the wall hard enough to rattle his fillings. My two henchmen sped past me like bolts of lightning tacking the other one before he could even unclip his radio. Leet ran past all of us heading to the Protectorate helicopter on the landing pad.

I stood to the side as my minions dragged the half struggling man in their grip. They were stripped of radios, helmets, and weapons before both were forced to sit against the wall with their hands zip tied in front of them. Once everything was done my people moved to the side keeping weapons trained on them as I approached.

"My good sirs, I have no doubt you have been given a duty to perform here." I stated as I closed the distance just staying out of kicking range before I took a knee before them. "Now, you're both guards, and that is a right proud job to have. What you don't want to be are dead guards, I'm thinking."

Both my henchmen brought up their rifles from watchful at rest, to directly pointed at each man's chest. I opened a sheet of paper holding it open before the first one so he could see the words on it. "Recite"

When the man didn't start reading I lowered my voice until it was barely audible. "I don't think you fully understand our situation. Allow me to clarify…"

I moved forward bringing the omni blade on my left arm to bear. It flared as I stabbed it directly between the man's legs. He let loose a panicked shout as he tried to scoot away from the flash forged blade but there wasn't room for him to do so without touching it. Even as he watched, the tip burnt and cracked the concrete beneath him. Shaking like a leaf in a windstorm he brought his terrified eyes from the blade to my helmet.

"I am not asking. _Recite_."

The combination of action and words had him reading quicker than Renegade could pull a trigger. After he read the entire paragraph I deactivated the omni blade moving to the second man. I didn't even need to ask before he did it.

Once he was finished I stood and walked away. "Put them to bed, gentlemen."

Before either man could do more than shout in surprise omni tools flared and both were Neural Shocked into unconsciousness. I called out to the open helicopter. "Leet?"

His helmet poked out of the open cockpit. "We own comms!"

"Chatika, you're up."

"Acknowledged, Matriarch. Voice prints are ready for when the next check occurs. I will monitor their communications and update you should anything transpire."

"Well done. How much longer on the scrambler Leet?"

"Ah, figure about ten minutes?"

I nodded as I opened the channel to the others. "All teams, we are live in fifteen. Hold action ready."

I listened to the chorus of confirmations as I walked to the edge of the building. All around me Downtown gleamed in its glory. While this building wasn't the tallest around, it was still very tall. How tall was never more apparent than now as I stood on the ledge looking outward. The sheer height of the thing wasn't something you could appreciate from the ground. Around us were several other buildings but they didn't concern me as much as the one adjacent to me did.

"Matriarch-"

"She was expected. Send her up." I replied distractedly.

Gunny nodded as he relayed the message to the team we left below to hold open our exit in case things didn't pan out. I didn't like using so many non powered people but we really didn't have much choice in the matter. Not for the message I wanted to send. Besides, once we included Gunny, the others practically begged to be part of the Op. I wondered if the Protectorate knew just how much some people in the city really didn't like them. I know that if I was taking applications to my gang, I'd be flooded. Especially after the Boardwalk incident.

I shook my head. Crazy. While you couldn't positively ID me from what pictures they managed to get, you could see enough to figure out Matriarch wasn't quite what she presented herself to be. Then again, with some of the weird powers out there, that meant little to those who followed the scene. Ultimately, it came down to the fact that people loved a winner, no matter what side they were on. While I wouldn't call what happened a 'win', a lot of other people thought it was. In some ways that incident strengthened my position as much as damaged it.

"Wow. Nice view."

I smiled slightly. "Tattletale."

"S'up." I waited until she drew next to me. Her eyes following mine for a moment. "You still set to do this, huh?"

"You know as well as I do, it has to be done. I need the villains respect. Without that they'll come after us. You know this better than I do since you are the one who told me. Did you get it?"

"Yeah, but when I said you needed to save face, I didn't mean like this." Tattletale was silent for a moment before I heard her sigh. "You know, if you do this, that's it. It's win or die. Not a lot of middle ground here. You won't get a do over."

"I know." I whispered. "But this is how we finish everything. Once this is done, I'll fade into the background or something. I meant what I said at the meet about being neutral. If there is one thing in short supply in the city, its neutrality. All I want to do is reopen the bay and make sure neither the heroes or villains abuse it. I'm not arrogant to think we can create a new golden age for the city, but a strong silver one would be nice."

"Can't say I disagree with that." I turned when she held out the slip of paper in her hand. I took it looking at the two words written on it.

"How sure are you about this?"

"I'm staking my life on it."

I nodded as my omni tool incinerated the paper. "Nuff said."

I turned back to the view looking at my objective. It was almost time.

"I just want to say, I think you're nuts."

"Probably." I laughed softly. "My sanity's has been questioned more than a few times. You sure you're up to this? Like you told me, there's no going back after this. Win or die. Might be the same for your teammates too."

Tattletale chuckled as her gaze followed mine. "As long as the tinker stuff you gave me works, then yeah. I'm in."

"If it doesn't, you won't have long to worry about it."

"And with that ringing endorsement, I'm done." Leet said as he joined us.

"Good, good." I replied keeping my eyes forward.

The three of us stood in silence for several moments before Leet turned to Tattletale gesturing outward. "What do you think's waiting for us down there?"

"Death." Tattletale chuckled grimly as she turned from the view to skeptically eye the omni tool I had Renegade make for her.

Leet's helmet wobbled a few times as he apparently disgusted that bit of news from the thinker. "In minutes or hours?"

I chuckled. Leave it to a video game enthusiast like Leet, to say something like that, at a time like this. I turned around. My steps carried me the length of the roof before I stopped, turned around, and broke into a dead run. I didn't wait to see if they would follow me. I gave each of them the option to back out at anytime before we started.

As my steps carried me to the edge I fought the sensation that rose within me. Primal instincts screaming of suicide and death if I didn't stop. I never hesitated as I leaped from the building sailing out into the open air. "Lets go find out!"

The wind roared past me as I descended. Far down below, but quickly rushing toward me, was the glass roof that covered my objective. Between us there was absolutely nothing but the open air. I felt a wide, insane smile stretch across my face. Of all the things they were expecting, I bet they didn't expect me to do this.

_Hachidan Kiritsu._

"All units, _Attack_!"


	58. The Dead Line 6

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.5**

The building I plummeted toward was only twenty six stories tall. The Forsberg Gallery was one of the more recognizable buildings you could find downtown. According to Chatika it was designed by architecture students at Bay University a few years ago. Sort of resembled the late stages of a game of Jenga which didn't really enamor me to it any. If anything, to me anyways, it sort of looked like they designed the thing to purposely assault the senses, what with each section formed in tempered glass and steel. Adding insult to injury, the entire thing was illuminated by lights that changed according to the time of the evening. While I kind of thought that was a nice touch, it just seemed to enhance how stupid the whole thing was. Considering I leaped from nearly three times my objectives height, I had some time to think about it.

When my visor reported I passed the three quarter mark, I activated the Instant Swarm Box. Behind me a trail of insects erupted. Those who couldn't fly were caught by those that did as I cycled through the different breeds I had available. As I continued to direct the swarm I took note of my radar noting the two blue dots on either side of me. Even as our free fall carried us onward I chuckled at the random thought that popped into my head. While Tattletale might have thought I was nuts, she still jumped. It brought to mind something but I couldn't remember where I heard it from. 'A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?'

As I flew past the halfway point at terminal velocity, no answers presented themselves. My descent was precisely where I needed it to be as I narrowed my body like an arrow. At the quarter mark only seconds remained. I brought my left arm forward activating the multi grenade launcher tech. Instantly my left forearm was encased in the omni generated launcher. Dark energy grenades glowed in their unstable light within each of the five tubes. I wasted no time in firing the spread toward the glass roof ahead of us.

_Knock knock..._

The explosions did what they were meant to, shattering the huge glass panels only moments before our bodies shot through the gap. While the grenades didn't do a lot of damage, they did generate a lot of force, which was what I wanted when I explained this part of the plan to Chatika and Sebastian. The last thing I wanted to do was damage the steel girders that held the glass while also I did not want to end up like one of my bugs on the windshield of car on a busy highway. As I watched them do their work I couldn't have been more pleased. The design worked perfectly sending most of the glass downward clearing our landing point while, other than visibly vibrating, the skeleton of the roof survived intact.

Knowing what was going to happen next, I tucked into a roll that would bring my feet downward and prepared myself for the sudden stop. I wasn't disappointed when the static bubble formed. My whole body shook from the stress even as the floor under me vibrated to the assault. Fortunately other than ripping along the grain around me, the dance floor held. Only a few heartbeats later Gunny landed to my left while Leet hit a few feet to my right. Behind us I heard the impacts of Tattletale and Smith arriving in a similar manner as I was released.

From my kneeling position I felt weirdly calm as I slowly rose to my full height taking everything in. The Protectorate was gathered around the stage at the back of the room. Armsmaster, Miss Militia, Assault, Battery, and Triumph. I didn't see Dauntless or Velocity but that was fine by me. There were enough heroes here.

Not far away was the 'kids' table with some of the heroes of the hour. Vista stood next to Gallant. I almost waved to Clockblocker just to freak him out. Rumor had it that after the bank job he sort of went off on a tangent about our interest in him. However, seeing Shadow Stalker put me back in the right headspace though I resisted the urge to growl. Around them were the rich kids. Teen actors and the sons and daughters of the local who's who. A platinum blonde in a white evening gown was giving me the evil eye. I easily recognized her from her press. Glory Girl of New Wave out of costume.

Standing guard by the front of the room, raising their weapons in our direction, was an on-duty PRT squad. Their very recognizable uniforms were chain mesh augmented with kevlar, topped with faceless helmets. The only means you had to identify them with were the badge numbers printed across their vests in bold white numbers. Four of the five had what looked like flamethrowers. They weren't firing yet, not that we expected them to. Even with the fact they were packing the best in nonlethal weaponry there were elderly people and children in the crowd. According to Tattletale and Chatika, that meant they were prohibited from opening fire on us for the moment.

The rest were civilians. The men and women interspaced around the room in their gala finest had clearly arrived to make an impression. A combination of the richest and most powerful people in the city, their guests and those willing to pay the exorbitant prices for the tickets, and they were exorbitant. There was only a handful left this morning when I checked and they were going for five hundred a person when they started off at only a hundred and fifty last week.

I easily recognized the mayor, Dinah's uncle. I was probably making the worst possible first impression ever with him but after yesterday I'd given up caring. Next to him was a guy who might have been a lesser known actor. I thought I recognized him, too. Might have been from one of the movies the gang watched in the last week. The rest were just people, maybe a bit better looking than the norm, a bit better dressed. I was willing to bet not a single one of them lived anywhere near the docks though. They all had that look which spoke of Downtowers. Well fed, well clothed, and working. The exact opposite of the majority in my territory aside from the few who worked for me.

The room itself was set up like I expected from the floor plans we 'acquired'. Buffet style food along one wall, lots of tables and chairs spread out in a semicircle around the dance floor I stood on. It was as I scanned the crowd I saw another familiar face. Emma.

Seeing her I could have laughed. She was standing there in the crowd with her parents and older sister plus one other I recognized. She looked scared shitless in a little sky blue dress and blue sandals. Like her own personal shadow, Madison stood next to her in a dark green dress and very low heels. It never occurred to me they would be here but I couldn't say I was surprised. With their families, this was the kind of thing they did.

Behind me, Tattletale laughed with an almost hysterical; nervous edge. "Holy shit! Never doing that again! Fucking intense…"

While no one had yet panicked aside from a few who dove or ran from the falling glass, that changed the second my bugs arrived. They poured through the open roof in a tide that quickly overtook the whole room. Shrill screams almost drowned out the roar of insect wings. The thick cloud of insects kept anyone from knowing where to go. Heroes tried to help or fight the insanity to get to us but there was absolutely nothing they could do with the frightened mob shielding us.

I turned to the ice sculpture someone set up in the corner by the buffet tables. It was of some vanilla hero, not meant to be anyone specific. Big, about ten feet tall posing heroically. The artist did a pretty good job with the details really selling the imposing yet gentle manner the Protectorate liked to present of their people. I pulled the Paladin and fired a single round. It announced itself in a great boom that not a single person in the crowd could mistake for anything else. Even as I grunted from the kick, the statue's head exploded raining ice shards everywhere.

"Silence!" I commanded. The noise of my bugs peaked with my words almost as if they were carrying it to every corner of the room. At the same time I willed them to be still. The screams tapered to whimpers as my bugs landed or stopped moving. Unobscured all eyes once again fell on me.

"Now that I have your attention…" Several heroes jockeyed for positions that shielded as many of the civilians as they could around them while the main heroes tried to make their way forward. "Stand down, _heroes_, or you are going to force me to _make_ you."

To emphasis my words the horde of insects in the room buzzed wings or clicked mandibles. That this was done while practically covering every inch of available surface in the room added to my warning. Leet, Gunny, and Smith pointed rifles into the crowd. The few of them who weren't shaking before did so now. Most of the heroes froze with only Armsmaster still advancing. I brought my gaze directly to the leader of the Protectorate's adult heroes. He only stopped when I clenched my fists and slowly lowered my head preparing myself for a fight.

Even though he stopped moving he still managed to close a lot of distance. The people between him and us moved out the way leaving a clear path. I allowed the tension in the room to carry on for a moment before raised my hand. those behind me pointed their weapons to the ground but kept them ready causing a tidal wave of relieved sighs to cascade through the crowd.

"Surrender," Armsmaster commanded breaking the silence.

"I didn't come to 'surrender'. I am here in reply to the message you sent me."

"You are only going to embarrass yourself if you prolong this."

Ten heroes and five PRT goons stood in the room arrayed against the five of us. Two of which weren't even capes while another wasn't someone I fought beside before. Well, not really. Not enough for me to have a grasp of her talents in a fight. "Ayres underestimated me too."

Someone in the crowd gasped. I wanted to say it was Miss Militia but with that scarf across her face I couldn't tell. Other than that, no one else reacted to my statement. For his part Armsmaster gave me nothing to work with. Not even so much as a tensing at the mention of the hero for hire.

"What do you hope to accomplish with this stunt? Five against fifteen do not equate a winning scenario."

"Odd. I was just thinking the exact opposite. However unlike you, Armsmaster, I am not spoiling for a fight. I am here only to say my piece and then I will leave. However, if you wish for a fight, I am more than woman enough to give it to you. I suspect all these _fine_ people however would rather we didn't, wouldn't you agree?"

In a weird way, this situation made me think of the stand off at the OK corral. As I looked around I noticed the glowing blue lines of Battery's costume intensify. Assault stood rigid but with his fists clenched. Miss Militia held a shotgun in a firm grip. Triumph even looked ready to leap into things. It wasn't just the adult heroes either. Clockblocker was standing next to Vista while Gallant had moved next to Glory Girl at some point. I couldn't see Shadow Stalker anymore but if anyone was looking for things to turn violent, it was her. The PRT guys had foam sprayers to hand and pointing at us as well. While it was a safe bet they wouldn't immediately open fire, they would the second they got a clear shot.

Just a bit behind me, I heard Tattletale chuckle. "Hardly. Of course he wants a fight. He's even prepared for one. See the ass-end of that stick of his? Disperses electricity. The floor here has brass in between the tiles to help transmit an electrical charge to the area around him for fancy bug zapping. Did you set that up before coming here tonight, knowing the way the floor would be put together?"

He didn't reply.

"Guess not. Happy coincidence that the setup you put together works as well as it does in here, then."

Her vulpine grin widened a fraction when he didn't reply. "It also emits an electromagnetic pulse wave directly ahead of him that way he can disable any technology within twenty feet if he wanted to."

Again, Armsmaster did not reply. He did however noticeably tense. Tattletales smile fully bloomed as she continued. "So, heard you can tell when people are lying with that fancy helmet of yours. That's awesome."

Apparently, we even had our very own Doc Holiday.

"So you'll know I'm telling the truth when I say your team _hate your guts_. They know you care more about rising from your position as the seventh most prominent member of the Protectorate than you do about them or the city-"

In the span of a second, the blade of the halberd broke into three pieces, reconfigured, and fired in grappling-hook style at Tattletale. The tines closed together, forming a loose ball shape as it flew. Thanks to the ant I had on it I was more than ready when it did. My omni blade flared as I deflected the hit as well as cutting the chain. What was left of it retracted back into Armsmaster's halberd.

And just like that, the fight was on.

I ignored the screams, shouts and yells as civilians either dove or ran for whatever cover they thought would work as the ballroom became a battlefield. Leet and Gunny instantly sent overloads into the PRT guards. All five found themselves in an arcing electrical storm as their equipment fried. Whatever they were rated for our tech must have been too much because each of the four three gallon tanks exploded sending containment foam into the wall behind them. As it expanded instantly overtaking a good fifth of the room, I was thankful that containment foam wouldn't suffocate anyone. As, I bet, were the people it consumed.

Suddenly Clockblocker appeared in front of me even as I noticed Glory Girl literally _throw _Gallant up and over the heads of the civilians and directly our way. I raised my hand thrusting it palm out before he even started reaching for me. The concussion shock wave from my omni tool picked Clockblocker up before he could freeze me and sent him directly into Gallant. The sound of them hitting each other made my bones twinge in sympathy, though I bet Gallant got the easier part of that exchange. He was in power armor, Clock wasn't.

Airborne heroes seemed to be the order of the day as Battery jumped kicking with both feet into Assault's chest. This sent her flying to our flank even as it sped Assault right toward us. However he didn't get far as Smith hit him with a Neural Shock which turned his controlled charge into a rag doll roll. Assault was well known for being a kinetic energy manipulator, sort of like how some capes could manipulate fire or electricity. However, that did little good when your nervous system short circuited.

Even as all this was going on my bugs were at work. The second Armsmaster attacked they burst into action again. If quite a bit more than was necessary of my horde of bees and hornets found themselves attacking Emma and Madison, it was not completely intentional. The hungry beetles that crawled into their dresses taking bites out of anything soft they could reach, however probably were.

I had Vista completely encased in biting insects which kept her on the ground and unable to further manipulate the environment to the hero's advantage. I had others attacking anything and everything no matter who they were causing as much panic as I could. Not just over them, but crawling under clothes, into their ears, mouths, nose, wherever they could fit or force themselves into to bite tender areas. This had just about every non combatant who hadn't yet fallen to the ground jumping around screaming and yelling as they tried to get help to remove the bugs. However, there wasn't any help to be found since everyone had the same problem.

Battery closed on us. The glowing lines of her costume dimmed several times before she could bring them back up. That told me she needed to concentrate to keep her speeder powers going. The sudden roar of the concussion rounds that rained into her from the Striker Assault Rifle in Smith's hands quickly put a stop to her charge, as well as put her down.

The others threw out tech attacks or weapons fire like party favors as I ran at Armsmaster who was trying to zap as many of my bugs as he could. To my right I finally found Shadow Stalker. Apparently she was trying to flank us and got caught in the containment foam explosion. Whatever her power did to change her state allowed her get out of it but she struggled and it was slow going. As for my people, I trusted them to handle themselves and figured Tattletale wouldn't be stupid enough to risk getting too far away from them. Armsmaster didn't wait for me to get close, spinning his hands until it pointed the ball like end at me. Suddenly I felt some kind of whump that made my hair feel like it was standing on end. In return I raised my pistol emptying the clip into his chest.

As I hoped, his power armor was good. Each hit jerked him about as well as indenting his armor half an inch. The fourth and final shot proved to be too much as it caused his already precarious balance to shift too much making him fall on his back. I ejected the empty thermal clip before seamlessly slotting in a new one as I finally closed the distance between us. By the time I stood over him, Armsmaster was already half raised from his prone position. A hard stomp from my own power armor put him back on the floor.

His arm smashed into mine sending my pistol flying. Without even thinking about it my arm instantly reconfigured. Apparently Leet took this into account when he made my armor since it unsealed and opened where it needed too in tandem to my arm.

"Enough! Stop this now, Matriarch!"

My focus was on Armsmaster as he stared into the barrel of my arm. Everyone around us seemed to freeze as they watched. None more than Armsmaster as he looked into the spinning disks that composed the barrel and the glowing green spark already primed and waiting.

_*Firefly: Online.*_

In the sudden silence I whispered softly though I doubted he had trouble hearing me. "So you know, EMP defense was the first thing we developed for our gear. _All_ our gear, in case you were wondering. Not a weakness we could allow, all things considered. Your move."

Armsmaster slowly lowered his helmet until it rested on the floor while also placing the palms of his hands to it.

"Still your bugs." Miss Militia commanded.

I turned only slightly while keeping the tinker cannon pointed at Armsmasters faceplate. Not that I needed to in order to know why she thought I would listen. Miss Militia was behind Gunny holding a machete against his neck. His struggle must have caused the sharp blade to rub against him at least once as I took note of the blood running down.

The din in the room quieted as my bugs stopped once again. I pulled them away from everyone but I didn't send them far. Just off their persons. At Miss Militia narrowed eyes I knew the message it sent was clear.

"Step away from Armsmaster."

I remained quiet as I considered our standoff. Not content with my lack of compliance, Miss Militia raised the blade causing Gunny to strain his neck to keep it from further cutting into him.

"Hey, chicka. I don't suppose you're related to Lupe Espinoza eh?" At Miss Militia's stunned blink Gunny continued. "That bitch was fucking crazy too, you know? Sexy as hell, but completely loco. Came at me more than once with a knife in the bedroom. Thought that shit was hot. I'm only asking because I'm having a hard time deciding if I should be scared as fuck, or really turned on."

Only a marine would sit there with a knife to his throat and wonder something like that. I didn't even try to hold back my chuckle, even if mine was the only one in the room.

Tattletale was half behind Leet, watching intently. Leet held a pistol in one hand and his SMG in the other. Both pointed at Gallant and Triumph respectively. Judging by the dents in their armor and the way both of them were standing wearily they were squaring off when things stilled. Smith kept his weapon lowered though the moaning people around him testified that he'd been busy.

"How's those radio frequencies working for you, Armsmaster?" At his silence I chuckled again. "Yeah, figured you noticed the scrambler by now. Where do you think we jumped from? By the way, I wouldn't trust that helicopter to take you home. I let Leet inside to install the scrambler and he likes his little pranks. There's no help coming here. Not that there is anyone available to come even if they got your communique."

"What do you mean by that?" Miss Militia growled.

"I meant what I said earlier. I didn't come here to fight. I came here to deliver a message. That however, does not mean a fight is not happening elsewhere."

"Explain."

"Let Gunny go and I'll walk away from Armsmaster. Then we can talk. Assuming you can keep this trigger happy _hero_ from pissing me off again." I comprised. "Tell you want, I'll even make the first move. Leet, you and the others slowly move toward the windows."

At Miss Militia's nod, the three of them moved in a group where I told them. The situation intensified slightly when Leet stopped to pick up my pistol but thankfully nothing happened. I stepped off Armsmaster and slowly joined them though I kept my weapon trained on his prone form. The eyes of every hero and civilian in the room tracking me until I stopped.

"Your turn. Gunny will behave and join us."

Slowly she removed the knife from my henchmen as I knew she would. First, this put us all at a disadvantage since we would all be grouped together with no cover. Second, her reputation was on the line. At this point the only thing the civilians would remember should the fighting start up again would be that not one, but _two_ of the highest ranking heroes in the Bay picked a fight that could have been avoided. Considering the kind of people in attendance here, that was the absolute last thing they wanted. This was already a PR nightmare in the making.

Gunny slowly picked up his weapon. Miss Militia's machete shimmered turning into some kind of black and green energy before it formed into a heavy machine gun. Gunny kept his movements obvious only holding the rifle by the casing until he joined us by the windows. Even as he did, those heroes who could fight formed a barricade between us and the civilians.

"Now, explain what you meant by how this was not the only fight taking place."

"You heroes took something from me. I want it back. You see, I don't like sharing my toys, and Uber belongs to me."

At Armsmasters snort I almost shot him out of reflex. The fact the increased speed of the spinning disks coincided with it was missed by no one. "To be precise, my forces are currently attacking Protectorate Headquarters. Not a lot of heroes there since most of you are here enjoying the souffle. I've been listening to the coms traffic and from what I hear, they certainly would have loved to have you around considering the kind of damage we're doing."

"Typical villain." Armsmaster snarled as he finally started moving to a kneeling position. I continued tracking him as he slowly rose to his feet. "Think you can just do whatever you want regardless to the consequences? Do you think we did not expect you to try and retrieve him?"

"Oh, I have no doubts you did. I never thought he was there. I just wanted to tie up the PRT while others retrieved Uber. The fact their doing so by having a pitched firefight for all to see is just a bonus."

I waited as they digested that bit before continuing. "I'm sure you are wondering where Renegade is. So you know, he's leading a contingent that was curious about that floating base of yours. More importantly, what keeps it floating. Not sure why he was so interested since I am fairly certain he plans to destroy whatever that is."

Several people gasped at my statement. A few even shouted at me in denial before Armsmaster shook his head. "Even if he managed to breach the defenses, Uber is not there-"

"Again, I know." I said as I cut off whatever he was going to say. "Renegade just wanted a target to vent his displeasure on over your failed assassination attempt. I can't say I couldn't understand his feelings-"

Glory Girl shouted as she stepped forward, "You lie! Heroes don't assassinate people!"

Behind me, Tattletale snorted. "Typical Glory Hole. Got a mouth big enough to..."

I raised a hand to quiet the villain. As much as I was tempted to let her continue this was not the moment. I don't think I was the only one who heard Clockblocker snort but no one reacted to it. Not even when Tattletale winked at him. The fact several people turned to Armsmaster in horror when he didn't contradict me, silenced any more protests so I continued. "After you failed to kill me at the Boardwalk and I found out about Uber, I knew you expected me to retaliate. I imagine the plan was for me to retaliate against one of the villains of the city.

"Very accurate since we both know you bugged the meet so you know exactly what I said to the other villain leaders. An attack like this was something we not only expected, but were waiting for from one of them. However, sadly for you, we got a look at your sniper. Ayres he's called, isn't he? It wasn't hard to figure out where Uber disappeared to after that. It was bad enough you tried to kill me and one of mine, but then your people picked Uber up while he was out of costume."

I ignored the reaction from the crowd of civilians as I watched the impact my words had against heroes arrayed against us. Shocked disbelieving faces looked back at me for the most part as I once again continued. "As for Uber, I knew that the moment we attacked Protectorate HQ he would have been moved elsewhere. My people have already intercepted it and freed him. Which brings us back to why I am here in the first place…"

Despite several looks of displeasure, Armsmaster stepped forward. "Please, you expect us to take you at your word that your 'reasons' are retaliation of a hero attempting to assassinate someone, in broad daylight with civilians around? You honestly expect us to take the word of a villain who has committed murders and destroyed property over a hero? Grow up. Everyone in this room knows you are nothing more than you seem. A power hungry villain who will say and do whatever she feels like to hold and maintain power she has no right to.

"One of you villains was apprehended and so you thought you would instigate several terrorist assaults against us? For upholding law and order? For doing our civic duty? Uber has broken the law several times and sooner or later he, and every single one of you will pay for it. Regardless of what right you think your power gives you, you are, and always will be subjects of this country's laws. Villainy is not tolerated nor condoned for any reason. We will do whatever we have to in order to ensure the safety and sanctity of the people we are charged to protect. For all the effort you have poured into your image, _Matriarch_, you sound like nothing more than a spoiled little _girl_ who didn't get her cookie after dinner."

"Oh ho. Someone's got _jokes._" Leet muttered.

It was a pretty speech, but I knew before he finished he wasn't talking to me. He was playing the crowd. That was fine. I didn't come here expecting less nor did I think for a second anything I said would be taken seriously. However, I wasn't quite done and his speech segued perfectly.

"Since the Protectorate is so fond of playing games with peoples lives, as seen by the incident at the boardwalk and here, how about I pick the next one? I'll even make it easy for you. We'll play a game you are familiar with. Stop the Assassin. However, unlike you heroes, I won't blindside you. We'll make this nice and fair."

I looked around the room taking note of the scared and weary faces watching me. "You have seventy two hours to stop me from killing Thomas Calvert. The rules are simple. If Thomas Calvert leaves the city, I will instead pick three people at random from this room instead. I will continue to do so every day until he returns. If any heroes aside from those currently in this city arrive to help you, my people will set off explosives we liberated from Bakuda's workshop in random locations. This is just between us. If, however, you stop me from completing my objective by the end of the time limit, I will turn myself in to the Protectorate without a fight and face judgment for any and all crimes you believe I am responsible for. Seventy two hours heroes..."

Before anyone could react, all of us sans Tattletale fired flash bangs in front of us. The screams of surprise from everyone except us completely hid the sound of the breaking glass from the windows behind us. Leet grabbed a startled Tattletale as we all jumped from the building falling similarly to how we arrived until we hit the street.

The three unmarked white vans parked across from us opened side doors allow us to jump in. Each taking a different direction to the next part of our escape route.

Chatika already sent the withdrawal order to everyone so they should be making their own way either back to base or one of several safe houses we established. I ignored everything around me as I breathed deeply sitting with my helmet in my hands. It was done. There was no going back now.

I had seventy two hours to assassinate Thomas Calvert.

One more steadying breath allowed me to raise my head. Across from me Tattletale watched with a grim expression on her face. Both of us knew that while this cut the legs out of his power, this gambit was still far from a sure thing. Knowing the heroes had to do something, they were going to swarm over him no matter if they believed I would turn myself in or not. They couldn't afford to ignore this, which meant that Calvert was going to be put into protective custody and surrounded by heroes and PRT staff full time for the duration. So surrounded any and all 'illegal' resources would be denied him. The gauntlet was thrown and the consequences were clear.

Three days to kill Coil.

Three days to free Dinah and Tattletale.

Three days...


	59. The Dead Line 7

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.6**

Our escape went just as we scripted it. Between our scrambler cutting their ability to communicate across distances, and Chatika controlling stop lights when we needed her to, we had a clear path. The van we were currently riding in came to a halt within the basement of a parking garage that was our stop. Considering our location, we could have just as easily gotten out on the first floor, but it was best to be out of sight as much as possible, considering our popularity at the moment. I quickly opened the side door before moving up to the drivers window, leaving Tattletale to follow.

"Just remember-"

"Yes ma'am." The nondescript guy behind the wheel nodded. His words easily held a patience that spoke of his skill in dealing with bosses who tended repeat themselves unnecessarily. "Ten minutes on the outside. Chatika is keeping me informed of their efforts."

I nodded, wincing slightly. "Just, don't get caught alright?"

The older man behind the wheel smiled reassuringly, before driving away. "Haven't yet."

"One of Lungs?" Tattletale asked as she stepped next to me.

I nodded distractedly, as I walked to the stairwell. "Transported stuff for him. Never joined the ABB, more freelance until Bakuda put a bomb in his head."

"Now he works for you?"

I shook my head. "Back to freelance. We don't usually need drivers."

"Huh. I might ask for his contact info sometime. We don't usually need drivers either, but it doesn't hurt to have one on call. Especially one who doesn't care about the cargo. Bitch's dogs tend to attract attention and someone willing to haul them half beefy before we do a job would help things."

I didn't reply, as I climbed the last of the stairwell. This was our second stop since our escape and the last. Used to be that this parking garage was used a lot more than it was today, but those days were long gone. Today it was completely empty aside from us. It also had the benefit of being close to a drainage pipe where a person could hide a small boat. While not exactly in the Boardwalk per se, this area used to be, once upon a time.

At the top of the short climb I stopped to lean against the wall resisting the need to check on the others. Chatika would have told me if there were problems but not knowing they were fine was grating on me. Not that I would breath easier until I saw them with my own eyes. Across from me Tattletale mirrored my stance while folding her arms. I ignored her calculating eyes as she watched me.

"He'll be alright."

I didn't even have to think about it to know who she meant. "I know."

"But you're going to worry anyways. You two must be really close."

"Don't." My arm visibly jerked as I fought to keep it from transfiguring. As the ports closed I couldn't help but think I had to talk to Leet about this thing. While a hidden gun came in handy a few times, it wasn't worth the risk. This thing was way too twitchy, too closely tied to my thought process. I pushed it aside for now instead turning from watching the corner to Tattletale. "It took some digging, but we eventually did find information on you. How you mess with people, revealing shit about them. Like that guy at Ruby Dreams Casino. Did you know he ended up committing suicide a few weeks later?"

Tattletale frowned but I continued before she could say anything. "I get it. With what I know of your power, I can see you using it without thinking much on it. Normal for you to know stuff. Maybe you telling people the things you learn helps you learn more. Maybe you think you're helping people by throwing shit in their face. Don't know, don't care, but before you even think of trying that with us, you need to understand something. Siren, Rorrim, hell even Uber and Leet. These are my friends. There isn't much I wouldn't do for them. That goes double for Renegade and Vates. If you put me in the position of having to choose between making use of your power to win this thing, or keeping them safe from you, then you are going to find yourself coming down with a serious case of dead and I'll find another way to do what needs to be done."

Tattletale blinked as she tilted her head considering my words. After a short tense moment of silence she nodded. "Fair enough. For the record, I didn't know about that guy offing himself. That wasn't something I wanted to happen, much less something I thought would happen since I didn't even tell him anything major. As for us, I wasn't trying anything. You're just a puzzle to me and I was trying to understand you better."

"Then _ask_ me shit. Don't sit there doing your thing to make me react. Especially don't do that with my people. We have enough problems without you stirring the pot and I am already well aware all of us have enough issues to give a shrink a seizure."

"Kay. How about this then, why go through all this? Why the multi attack? You do know this is pretty much a declaration of war right? That's how they're going to see it. You're challenging the status quo, and not in a small way. Every single one of those suits saw you defeat Armsmaster. Not just defeat him but you held him _hostage_. That is not something they are going to let go, much less Armsmaster. Not with his rep."

"It was the only real option available. What else could we have done? Outed Ayres? Revealed all the dirty little secrets we have on the Protectorate across the Web? Exposed Calvert as Coil? Only gone after Uber?"

I shook my head as I returned to watching the corner. "You heard Armsmaster and the crowds reaction to him. No one is going to believe a villain. Outing Ayers would have put me on the wrong side of the unwritten rules. Revealing the secrets we uncovered about some of the Protectorates dirty laundry wouldn't work for the same reason. Besides, no matter what my personal feelings toward the local Protectorate might be, we still need it. Without the Protectorate, we stand to lose so much more than just Brockton Bay. They keep most villains in line, help organize Endbringer Events, and most of the time they do a city good even if our branch is more concerned with Downtown than in the Docks. The problem in Brockton Bay is that our Protectorate branch has been infiltrated. Coil has people in deep. Hell, even Bakuda had people on the inside. Well, I guess I now have people on the inside too but I haven't been using them. Granted they messaged us about Uber and Rorrim but that was by their choice, not something I made them do.

"Anyways, destroying the Protectorate is not on the agenda. They might think I'm declaring war, but I'm not. Just making a statement. A very clear one. If they are going to use dirty tactics against me, then I will do so against them. Not that it matters now. They're going to be way too busy in the next three days protecting Calvert to worry about the other stuff. For now anyways."

Tattletale started to reply when I heard tires screech quickly followed by a vehicle pulling in. It was a jet black Aston Martin with two people inside. It no sooner came to a stop than the passenger unbuckled her seat belt and ran at me.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

I smiled at the half crying older girl I suddenly found myself hugging. "Told you we take care of our own."

Sharee didn't look like she was going to let me go anytime soon so I turned to the well dressed older man who was with her. I extended my hand toward him. "Mr. Calle. Thank you."

Chuckling to himself he shook my hand. "Ah, the infamous Matriarch. Very good to finally meet you and it was no trouble, I assure you. However, something tells me that you knew that before you contacted me."

Beside me Tattletale chucked herself as Sharee pulled herself together enough to wipe her eyes as she looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"He means they didn't have a leg to stand on and they knew it. You would have been released in a few hours without his help." Tattletale answered.

"Very true. The paperwork for her release was already getting started before I even spoke with Miss Rockford. However, I think you had other intentions for my visit than just an expedient release of a very questionable suspect? "

I nodded confirming his thoughts. "I wanted to send the Protectorate a message. A, different one, than the others I sent today."

Some kind tone I couldn't identify sounded from Calle's breast pocket. He paused only long enough to check the message he received on his phone before chuckling again and putting it away. "Yes. Judging by my coworkers instance for information on my continued good health, I would imaging that the messages you sent were received by quite a few people."

"Probably." I answered distractedly as I turned to the shoreline hidden by the wall next to me. "Are you staying in the city?"

"That would depend. Are my services going to be needed again so soon?"

I shook my head. "Not unless things go very, very, wrong. However, I do have a package I need you to hold on to. Nothing illegal, just papers and stuff. If things do go wrong, I need you to follow the instructions inside."

"I see." Quinn Calle thought for a moment before he nodded. "As your legal representative I can hold on to documentation if it pertains to any future cases you feel I may be representing you for, or others you deem. If I may ask, what is it you want me to do with it?"

"Leverage. Details will be in the instructions."

"As long as there is nothing that will jeopardize my firm or my clientele, then I can see no harm in agreeing. Provisional on what the documents disclose you understand."

"Naturally. Just covering our bases."

"Of course. Well then, Since everything seems to be in hand, I will wish you well. A good day to you Miss Rockford. Matriarch. Mysterious young woman." Calle nodded to each of us before climbing back into his vehicle leaving just as quickly as he arrived.

The three of us watched before I turned to Sharee. "Listen, things have been happening. I think its best if you lay low for a while."

Sharee eyed Tattletale skeptically but my question brought her full attention to me. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "It's better you don't know-"

"Hey, no. Look, we all knew something like this could happen. I'm in."

"I know that but you have more than just yourself to worry about now."

"Yeah, and do you know where I would be if I didn't have you guys? Besides, who's going to take care of…" Sharee trailed off eying Tattletale again.

"She's knows about Vates."

Sharee narrowed her eyes distrustfully before she nodded. "Okay then. So, who's going to take care of her while you guys are doing the heavy stuff? We both know you're going to need Siren since she's more useful in the field. More importantly, I'm not about to walk away from this. We're a team."

"I know but we can figure stuff out. I've gotten you in enough crap. That was why we set everything up so that if anyone was watching when they weren't supposed to, they didn't even know you had powers. Right now, with the shit about to go down? You get caught with us and I'm not sure even Calle can get you out of it."

"He can." I turned to Tattletale to see her shrug. "Push comes to shove, you can always say Siren used her power on her. Made her help you. Yeah, it puts a rap on Siren, but she's already got a capture and Cage order for her. Do not pass Go, do not go to Jail, go directly to the Birdcage kind of thing. She had her trial, shes done if she gets caught unless someone springs her again."

Sharee looked at me nodding firmly to Tattletales point. I sighed giving in. "I don't deserve you guys, and I think you're making a huge mistake, but come on."

_XxXExiledXxX_

I guided the boat around our ship. One of these days, I was going to have to find out what it used to be called. We just called it 'the ship' but before it was a wreck, it had to have been called something. Whatever it's designation was before I couldn't read it now with the lettering faded so badly. After all the time we'd spent here, the things we done and built, it suddenly seemed disrespectful not to call it something.

I shook off that random thought. In front of me Tattletale turned frowning. "Seriously?"

I chuckled at her tone as I slowly putted us into position. "My exact thoughts when Renegade brought me here the first time. I think you'll be surprised. We've made a few improvements over the last month or so."

"I somehow can't see…"

The side of the hull I slowly moved toward opened on its own. If you didn't know what to look for, you wouldn't even know it could do that. It opened just wide enough for us to pass through. Whatever Tattletale was going to say died off as she noticed our hidden port. I docked next to the other boat that floated there, tied us off and helped Sharee up before climbing up myself. With Tattletale silently trailing behind us we walked along the narrow walkway finally exiting in our CIC.

"Jesus fucking Christ! How did you get all this shit in here? You did all this in a fucking month? Holy fuck, is that a map of the Bay? How the hell are you getting internet out here? Or fucking cable? Or, is Leet playing _Spartans_?"

I ignored Tattletale as she looked around at our set up. Instead I moved to where Sebastian was standing. If my movement was half running, I didn't care. His arms automatically wrapped around me and everything was suddenly better. The hitch in my chest that had been with me ever since we started our getaway finally eased allowing me to sigh in relief.

After a good reassuring hug, I pulled back looking him over. He must have gotten here a while ago since he was out of armor. I didn't see any damage as I looked into his concerned eyes. Likewise he was looking me over. I started talking even as I released the seals on my helmet so I could take it off. "We're fine. Gunny got a bit hurt but nothing major. It went pretty much the way we wanted it to."

Sebastian nodded as he dropped my hood letting me finally pull my helmet free. "Yeah, Chatika said as much. You okay?"

"Not by a long shot but we're committed now."

"Not quite what I meant. There's still time. You know, to come up with a different plan. I still think we should-"

I shook my head as I cut him off. "No."

"We don't have to do it this way. I can easily take care of this."

I smiled at the confident tone in his voice. "I don't doubt you could, but you know this is the right way. Regardless of how I might feel about it."

I leaned into Sebastian's hand when he placed it along my face. "Taylor, this is going to change you. Things like this, they always do. Especially if it's done this way. Trust me, I know this better than anyone."

I looked into Sebastian's green eyes seeing his concern for me. "Tell me I'm wrong, that it won't work. Forget about me for a moment, and tell me that this isn't the what needs to be done, regardless."

Sebastian frowned not saying anything.

I smiled slightly as I nodded. "I'll be fine. I was afraid to ask Chatika, how did your mission go?"

He sighed. "Planted the fake explosives on the support pillars like we talked about. Got inside but didn't stay long. I was right, they either do their dangerous weapons research there, or it's where they store some of the more questionable weapons their engineers make. We couldn't get any of them but we downloaded most of their files before we had to evac. Chatika's going over it now and putting things in order of relevance to our current situation. The PRT guys who guarded that place weren't holding back when they finally figured out where we were. Santiago almost got killed by some kind of projected energy weapon that cut through steel like nothing I've seen, and keep in mind I've seen some pretty damn effective weapons. Anyways, once we were in the bay we were able to easily lose them. Lost a few drones to guarantee our escape but overall, it went about the way we expected."

"Anyone in Blackstorm get caught?"

"No, though the way I hear it, all ten of them had way too much fun with those Striker Assault Rifles we made for them. Between the concussion rounds, the tech attacks we gave them, the explosive drones, and our new shield turrets, they did what they were supposed to without losses. Lot's of property damage but nothing significant. Blown up ground vehicles, lot's of damage to the face of the building, that kind of thing. No way anyone driving near that place is going to miss the fact we were there for a long time. Very eye catching. Heroes and PRT staff got bounced around quite a bit but nothing serious."

I nodded to the news. "Good, when do you head out to retrieve the gear?"

"Once Miguel contacts me to let me know that it's been moved to the pick up. Probably in an hour or so. I'll take Steve with me since he missed out on the fun. Get him up to speed and let him know what we're doing going forward."

"Okay. I'm going to check on Dinah and then I'll get Tattletale up to speed on the next part. Hopefully she can narrow things down with Chatika."

As much as I'd rather have stayed in his arms, I reluctantly moved away. It was then I noticed the situation behind me. Paige was sitting at the main screen, Greg had left his game and was standing next to Steve. Judging by the open door behind him he must have just came from the infirmary. Sharee was in the kitchen. All of them were staring at Tattletale who was intently, but thankfully silently, looking back.

Steve looked at me. Probably looking at the remainder of my close shave from the Boardwalk. He didn't comment on it as he returned to looking at Tattletale. "So, we're in bed with the Undersiders now?"

Before I could respond, Tattletale snorted. "You wish."

"If you were gagged first, fuck yeah." Steve easily returned. "But not the question I was asking, nor the person I was talking to."

"Enough." I ordered trying to head this off. I knew there was no love lost between either group but right now was not the time for old grudges. "Good to have you back Steve, and yeah, we're working together now. Sebastian will get you caught up. I don't expect you guys to be friends, but make nice for the mission, alright? Right now, Tattletale is the only one you have to be civil to."

"And what's to stop her from using what she learns about us later?"

"I've made her, aware, of the consequences of betrayal. Besides, she has as much riding on this as we do. I trust her."

Steve nodded before turning to his friend who was standing beside him. "Good enough for me. Come on man, we got shit to do."

Greg nodded before both disappeared down the ladder to the workshop. Sebastian gave my shoulder a squeeze while showing off his smirk before he followed them. I shook my head as I headed to the infirmary. That went better than I thought it would, and about as good as it was going to get apparently.

Tattletale followed me as I entered the door Steve exited while I was talking to Sebastian. Not surprisingly the hallway was pretty dark with only the one light from the door to show the way. Once at the door I quickly opened it letting Tattletale and myself inside before closing it just as quickly. The room was pitch dark, as I expected considering the condition of our patient. The only exception to this came from Mr. Doctor, or more precisely some of the lights on it. Not that any of them were bright enough to do more than highlight some of the furniture. I grabbed Tattletale by the arm leading her toward the only bed in the room so she didn't bump into any of the chairs and disturb the our patient.

I sat in the chair next to the bed checking the cool compress on her head. "Hey. Feeling any better?"

"A little bit." Dinah whispered back to me. "I'm glad we got Steve back and that he's okay. There was only a thirteen four six eight nine chance they would hurt him but it scared me. He was just here and gave me something for my headache."

"That's good though I really wish you didn't push yourself to help us like this. I told you before we could figure things out on our own. You had us worried when you spaumed this morning." The compress was still cool which meant Steve probably changed it when he visited.

"You get migraines too huh?" Tattletale whispered from the other side of the bed. "I get those when I push my power to hard."

"Yeah…"

"It's alright Dinah. This is Tattletale. She's going to help us."

"Oh, okay. Tattletale brings up our odds by thirty eight point nine one seven two percent unless she betrays us but there's only a twenty six point four five one three percent chance she does. The rest of the time she helps us win, or dies with us when we lose."

I heard Tattletale softly chuckle as I turned over Dinah's predictions. "Not much for sugar coating it are you hon?"

"The times you betray us, Taylor kills you." Dinah stated emotionlessly. Something about the way she said that made me think she was looking right at Tattletale. "Every time. Sometimes you get the others hurt. Sometimes they die. You don't die quick when that happens… One time you lasted a really long time… But, when you help we win most times. When we don't, when we lose you always die with the last of us…"

"Hey, no more, alright Dinah?" I stepped in when her voice faltered. "You're going to hurt yourself if you keep using your powers like this. Things are going to be okay now. We're all here and just right outside the door if you need any of us. You should rest if you can."

"O-okay. The medicine Steve gave me is making me really sleepy and my head doesn't hurt as bad anymore."

"Then sleep. If you need anything or need me, I'll be in the CIC. Chatika will tell me and I'll be right in, okay?"

"Kay…"

Both Tattletale and I stood up. Hopefully leaving Dinah to rest. Tattletales eyes must have adapted to the minimal lighting enough for her to follow me to the door since she moved straight for it without my help and both of us left without another word.

"You know she doesn't just see percentages right?" Tattletale asked as we retraced our steps.

"Yeah, figured that out not long after we rescued her when the nightmares started."

"Not just in her dreams either and she's not telling you what she sees. I'm also getting you don't use her power much. It's not because of the migraines, that's avoidable if you watch it. So, why not?"

"Because, I'm not Coil." I stopped walking as we reentered the CIC turning to the cape beside me. "It's her power. If she wants to help us, then we let her but we don't ask. More importantly, we won't ask her to help us. Can you imagine how easy it would be to become reliant on her abilities? How long until we start thinking we know better than everyone else and start trying to manipulate the timeline into something she see's for us that we want? Once we do something like that we have lost so much more than who we are. We've become the people we fight against."

"True," Tattletale agreed. "But you could also achieve a great deal more. I'm not talking robberies or shit. I'm thinking big picture. With her help you can really change the city. Hell, you could do so much more than that. Especially if you added the right capes to your roster to affect the right changes."

"Sure, but where does it stop? What gives me the right to decide that kind of stuff? Who am I to decide what is right and what is wrong? That 'greater good' mentality doesn't just blur the lines, it makes them practically invisible. What if Dinah saw a future where the city not only could enter into a golden age, but did? So we used her to make it happen but to do so we had to execute every hero in the city and openly proclaim the E88 our new Protectorate. So, now we have the city on its feet, everyone still here has a job, and is happy, but it's a city of skinheads and everyone who did not openly conform to that idea was killed. Is that what you want?"

"Not quite what I meant and who says you can't just tweak things to get the same result without all the negative stuff?"

I shook my head. "You're making my point. It's a slippery slope and it doesn't work that way. Dinah knows that better than anyone."

"Her nightmares?"

"Yeah, whatever it is causing them scares her shitless. Every night she has that vision, or whatever you want to call it, she tries to use her power to fight it. Change things so it doesn't happen and she gets the ending she wants. Problem is, every change, no matter how slight spins the situation way off course. You're suggesting we use her to help things now, but what will that do to the future? Forget about all that and think about this, you are here because sooner or later Coils going to take your freedom from you. Use you just like he wants to use Dinah. He's going to take your choice from you so here you are, fighting for your right to choose. What makes you so special that you get that right but no one else does?"

"Deep shit." Tattletale joked. It broke the serious mood well enough I chuckled slightly. "Seriously, I get what you're saying. It's not that I don't agree with you on some of that, but I still think there's a middle ground that we could use. More importantly, I think we should."

"Maybe, but it's not on the table, so we'll move on." I turned heading toward the main screens. Paige moved to her spot at the edge when she noticed us coming.

"Chatika."

"Hello Taylor. Tattletale. How can I help you?"

"You're fucking kidding me? She's an artificial intelligence?"

"I prefer the term 'synthetic life form', should you feel the need to classify my existence, human."

I couldn't help but laugh at Tattletales stunned bemused look. "You even have smack talk down. Now I'm impressed."

"Chatika can give as good as she gets. Has to working with Steve and Greg. Chatika, can you bring up the project we discussed this morning? The one I set aside for Tattletale."

"Of course Taylor. Tattletales access level?"

"Officer's clearance. Level Five."

"Acknowledged. Bringing up relevant data."

While Tattletale looked around at the multitude of screens that appeared around her, I took the omni tools she would need to access the interface and handing them to her. "You'll need these."

"You know, if I batted that way, it would be completely worth the squick to fuck you silly if it meant you would make me something like this for my own use. No wonder you know so much without using the girl."

"Thanks, I think." I pushed aside the uncomfortable feelings her comment gave me before continuing. "So, moving on, this is what I brought you here for and what I need you to find for me. Specifically, these two things."

I brought the relevant screens forward while Tattletale put on the omni tools. The left side showed a picture of a guy in the strangest power armor ever. Not just strange, but very unique and identifiable to anyone who followed the international villain scene. Granted he was more mercenary than villain really. He only targeted one hero specifically and spent the rest of his time doing merc work against other villains. The second page was a list of probable locations for something in Brockton Bay. Something we managed to narrow down some but we were out of time now. We didn't need close, we needed the exact address to strike.

"You're not doing this by half are you?"

"No. I need this information by tomorrow. Sooner would be better. Can you do it?"

"With Chatika's help, consider it done. I'll try not to get a migraine doing it since I know there's other stuff you need me to do, but if these are the priorities, then yeah, done."

"Chatika will help but I also need her doing something else. Chatika? We're retasking things. Put Project Undine on the back burner. Task everything but bare essentials to Project Sir Isaac Newton."

"At once. Will Steve and Greg also be assigned?"

"Yes. How soon can you have guys have it done?"

"With re-prioritization, shakedown ready status can be attained in twenty six hours and twenty minutes. Delays may lengthen this time line by as long as twelve hours at most. With Steve and Greg assisting it is likely we can actually cut down time by as much as eight hours as most key components have already been field tested and approved."

I nodded. "Good enough. Last thing Tattletale, the stuff you picked up from the heroes today? I'll need that as soon as you can get it put down but not as much as these two things. So whenever you get this sorted would be good. I'll let you guys get to work. Let me know if you need anything Tattletale."

Already deep into the files in front of her, the thinker only nodded to my parting comment. I walked over to where Paige was taking a seat across from her. She looked up from the paper she was writing on giving me a slight smile. "You look exhausted. You should get some rest while you can."

"I'll be fine. What are you working on?"

"A song that's been stuck in my head for a few days now." Paige muttered as she looked to the words she'd written or crossed out. "Trying to get it out before I either lose it or it distracts me from something I need to focus on later."

"I keep forgetting you write your own stuff. Sorry things are so twisted. It can't be easy doing all this stuff when your heart wants something else."

"Could be worse. I could be some villains whore in the Birdcage right now. Overall, I'm actually pretty happy with how things are, considering that."

Her comment made me chuckle darkly. "I guess that's one way to look at it. Can I see?"

Without a word Paige slid the paper over to me letting me read the words she decided on. One particular set caught my eye when I read them.

_Another grey reminder that what used to be has gone away._  
_It's really hard to say_  
_How long we have to live with our insanity._  
_We have to pay for all we use._  
_We never think before we light the fuse._

When I looked up Paige was biting her lip as she watched me. I smiled knowingly as I commented. "Trying to tell me something, Paige?"

"No." Paige answered with a roll of her eyes. "I was actually thinking of our situation. When it comes to us it's almost funny. Steve and Greg used to be the biggest trouble makers in the Bay. Always stirring the pot, never taking anything seriously. Just playing the game for the hype. Now, they're serious. You should have seen Steve's face when Raze brought him in and he found out about what happened to you. I don't think I've ever seen him so pissed.

"Then you got Sharee. Brought in to help you guys gather intel, finds out she's pregnant and the baby's daddy wants nothing to do with it. All she was trying to do was get through college without a debt that would take twenty years to pay off, now she's got a family on the way and all the drama the PRT pulled when they arrested her.

"So that brings it to me. Before that thing, I was set, you know? I was getting pretty popular. I was even about to sign a deal for my first record. My whole future was ahead of me and all of it was derailed because I lost my temper with David stalking me and told him to go fuck himself not realizing I was still riding high on my power. Then he did and I got sent to the Birdcage for aggravated and sexual assault with a parahuman ability. So extreme, especially when you look at some of the other villains who did that kind of thing on purpose and only got regular jail time. I can't thank you guys enough for saving me from that, you know? So, here I am trying to help out where I can. Not that I do much. Not a tinker, or a thinker, or a fighter but I'm trying to help as much as I can by doing the little stuff to keep you guys going because what we're doing, it's important.

"That brings things around to the core of us. Dinah, Shepard, and you. Even before you guys rescued Dinah, you were trying to do something good here. Help people, make things better but it just seems like everywhere we turn, there's another problem, another roadblock. Coil's influence, the other big villains in the city, the Protectorate hiring Ayres to kill you and Shepard. The more I look at it the more it looks like we're being purposely blocked from doing anything good at all. It's just so insane you know? How the game of capes shapes everything to the point that even if we told someone the truth about what was going on, no one would believe us. Even if we weren't villains."

"Is that what you're new song is about? How crazy everything is?"

"Sort of. Mostly I think its more about drawing attention to this whole mess. When I was a rogue I didn't pay much attention to the cape scene. Now, it's half of what I do so we can try and stay ahead of things coming our way." Paige reached over tapping the chorus she decided on.

_Look up, look up, look up,_  
_The sky is falling!_  
_Look up, there's something that you have to do._  
_Before you try to go outside, to take in the view,_  
_Look up because the sky could fall on you!_

I raised an eyebrow at the lines before returning my gaze to Paige. "Catchy, though I'm about the last person to ask about musical composition in general. What do you plan to do with it when you get it done?"

Paige shrugged bringing the paper back to her. "Nothing for now. Maybe after all this stuff is done, cut my own album or something. Since I can't do anything legally anymore I might just go underground as Siren, you know? Maybe have Steve and Greg help me put together a website the Protectorate can't take down and do stuff like this. Write music about what I see going on. Maybe shake some people up or just get them thinking."

I smiled fondly as I nodded to her points. "You know we'll help you do whatever you want to do right?"

"I know and I thank you for it. Hopefully we can get this ugliness out the way soon so we can get back to trying to make things better."

"That is the plan." I agreed as I got up. "Speaking of such, I should get to my own work. Let me know when you finish it. You got me curious to see what the final product will sound like now."

Paige laughed as she shooed me away. "You got it. Now go plan something dastardly and vicious so we can get to the fun stuff."

My laughter joined hers as I walked away. A pulled up bar stool later found me still in my armor and sitting in front of my own half circle of vid screens. All of them related to our attacks against the Protectorate. Some of them were from news feeds from the various stations in the bay, others were from video feeds Chatika managed to hack into.

One set showed the floating base Sebastian attacked. Not a lot of visual damage but a column of smoke was rising from one point. Where he made his exit I thought. Another set of screens showed the outside of Protectorate HQ. Sebastian understated how much visual damage the guys caused. The street was littered in torn pavement and craters while the gates were in ruins. The outer wall of the building itself looked like it was shelled for hours instead of the fifteen minutes our guys worked it over. Surprisingly there was nothing yet on Steve's break out or the fundraiser.

I pushed those screens to the back, bringing forward the ones for inside the Protectorate itself. "Alright now, let's see if you fuckers took the bait…"


	60. The Dead Line 8

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.7**

I yawned as I closed the weapons case in front of me, locking it. All of us were up ridiculously late last night, only to have to rush out early this morning. All because our guard detail over our stored gear in town was almost discovered by the Protectorate. Sadly, this was what we got for thinking they didn't know where all of Uber and Leet's stash locations were. The guys were upset about some of their losses when other locations fell, namely their go-karts, but overall we didn't lose anything major. Old costumes and some minor tinker tech that was more gimmick than useful mostly. All the really good stuff we moved weeks ago to the ship.

So far, these lightning raids against us were the only retaliation for our stunts yesterday. The only obvious ones anyways, other than the occasional hero trying to be sneaky trolling the Docks. Mostly they used Shadow Stalker. I bet Sophia loved the free pass to get out of school, even if she wasn't having much luck finding us.

I pushed thoughts of that cape out of my mind as I watched two of our guys haul the crate to the van. We were almost done here. With the scrutiny in the city we were moving everything back to the ship for now. Worse case scenario, we'd make our final stand there. Hopefully it didn't come down to that though.

"Matriarch?"

I turned to my shadow. With Renegade at the next drop point, Miguel took it upon himself to be my bodyguard apparently. "Yes Gunny?"

"Eye's Front just reported in. Hero walking openly down Parker Street."

I frowned. There was only one person walking that way. As I concentrated, I realized they were walking with their hands at their sides palms up. I turned to Uber. "That's the last one right?"

"Yeah, the other van left about ten minutes ago."

As I considered my options something Paige said last night rang a bell within me. "Alright. Gunny, tell them to watch, but do not act unless she does something first." Even as I sent a message of my own, my masked minion nodded as he turned away to relay my orders to our protection detail.

As he did so, I directed a bunch of flyers to create a human shape in front of the hero. Feeling a bit creative, I moved them to form a recognizable head, face, and even long hair. Others I moved to form the torso and arms but not legs. From there I directed them to flow behind the 'body' so it was more like a bug ghost in a robe. Overall, I think it came out rather well, considering they were all flying insects of varying types. I sensed her stop moving as my swarm took shape. I raised an arm of my ghost, making a follow me gesture, before I had it start floating my way at the same pace the hero was walking prior.

"Uber, once she walks into the building have the guys make for Renegade."

"You're seriously going to talk to her? Eye's Front just sent me a picture of her and that is fucking Miss Militia out there."

"I figured it was, yeah."

"And you're going to talk to her. Miss Militia. The same Miss Militia who held Gunny hostage yesterday by holding a sword to his neck. What are you going to talk about? Man, that was some kick ass bree at the party, right?"

I laughed, shaking my head at his antics. "You want her autograph don't you?"

Uber nodded. "Think she'll go for it?"

I shook my head. "I'm not asking her for her autograph for you, so tough luck there. Go, but stick around in case she decides to start something. I don't think she will judging by the fact she not only came here openly, but she's making it pretty obvious she didn't come to fight."

"Fine, fine, but you know Renegade isn't going to be happy with this."

"That depends more on what happens when she gets here." I stated as I moved over to where an empty crate was sitting. I closed it before sitting on it. "Gunny, would you mind getting the thermos of tea I left in the van before they go? If you can find a cup or two that would be great."

"Sure _jefe_, but you know she came here for me right? We had a connection yesterday. I know she felt it to."

"In your dreams, playboy. The only connection she felt toward you was her knife at your neck."

"I think you're seriously underestimating my machismo. Just like Crazy Lupe, she can't stay away from from this fine specimen of manhood."

I rolled my eyes at his overplayed male pride. "Go get the tea before I decide you should go with the others."

Miguel gave one more parting shot as he walked away. "You'll see. Bet I'm the first thing she asks about."

My laughter finally tapered to mere chuckles by the time she arrived. I dispersed the clone as soon as she rounded the stack of crates, which let her see me waiting for her. She walked around the corner dressed as I expected her to be. Iconic stars and stripes across her face, leaving only her dark eyes uncovered. Camo cargo pants. A huge knife was sheathed at her side. A fact I took note of, and helped to confirm my thoughts she wasn't here to start trouble, but to talk.

"Miss Militia."

"Matriarch. I'm surprised to find you alone. I would have expected a more, defensive greeting. I believe Assault mentioned Renegade hovered above him with a rather large tinker rifle."

"True, however I'm not alone. You are rather lightly equipped, if you came here with the intention of trying to bring me in. I assumed when I saw you walking through the docks non aggressively, that you wished to talk. If you spoke with Assault, then you know I don't mind talking." I returned as I waved to the crate opposite of mine.

"Indeed, that is precisely why I came." The camo clad cape stated, as she sat down.

Gunny came back just as she settled herself. The thermos and two foam cups in his hands as he played the dutiful waiter and started to pour. The mandibles of my helmet parted. "Would you care for some tea?"

The heroine's eyebrow rose. Either to my question or skin color I don't know. She was there when Ayres brought in his recording to the villain meet, so it could have gone either way.

"Tea?"

I accepted the steaming cup from Gunny, as I nodded to the question. "Specifically, Green Tea. Thank you, Gunny."

"No problem, Matriarch." Gunny responded, as he filled the second cup and handed it to the surprised heroine. I hid my smile behind my cup, as he stood not far away looking at her. Something she noticed as well, judging by the shift in her body posture. I noticed her eyes lock onto the still angry red mark her knife left on his neck, before she turned her gaze to me.

It was all I could do to hold in my laughter, when her eyes darted from my henchmen to me questionably. I knew I failed to keep my amusement masked, when I answered the unasked question. "Don't ask."

"I'm afraid I need to. Is he alright?"

Before I could answer, Gunny did. "Hey, its cool."

I have never been so thankful for a full full helmet as I was at this moment, when Gunny continued. As it was, I seriously thought about closing my mandibles to hide any blush that might have shown at his words. "I get it, you know? I'm a henchman, you're a hero. To taboo right? Just sayin' though, little things like that shouldn't stop us. I think we could be a good thing, you know? But hey, it's okay. I understand."

I had to bite my lip to stop myself from bursting out in laughter at the look on Miss Militia's face. Not sure how long it took me to get control of myself, but not very long I hoped. "Gunny."

"Ma'am?"

"Dismissed."

Thankfully, Gunny didn't say anything else as he walked away. Miss Militia broke the awkward silence that settled on us after his departure. "You know, I think that is the first time I have been hit on by a minion."

"Gunny is rather... unique. Though, I think you would be surprised by how popular you are with my employees."

"You can't be serious."

I nodded. "Actually, I am. According to Renegade there's quite a few posters of you in circulation. Surely, it can't be that shocking. I had one of you not long ago, myself. Probably still do, actually. Though, I think the appeal for the guys is a bit different than it was for me."

Miss Militia set aside her full cup, turning her puzzled gaze to me. "You are not what I expected."

"I can see that." I offered noncommittally, as I took a drink of my tea.

"To be honest, I expected more 'Pirate Queen', and less civility when I came here."

"You expected that I would have you shot on sight, without hearing you out. We haven't shot Shadow Stalker yet either, and she's been point for all your raids this morning."

"You are well informed." Miss Militia stated calmly.

"You have no idea."

"So, you know about the raids, and yet you are still here. I don't understand what makes you feel so confident that I won't arrest you."

"I never said I was. I'm actually rather curious about why you are here. Especially, since our last meeting didn't exactly endear either of us to each other."

"And if I decided to arrest you?"

"Then Uber will shoot you."

Miss Militia cocked her head slightly, before the red pen light materialized over where her heart would be on her body armor. Very slowly, not moving an inch, she followed it into the shadows to my left. I knew Uber was lying prone about forty feet on the walkway above us. She didn't until just this moment as Uber activated his omni tool showing himself to her questing eyes.

"The rifle in his hands, while not our most lethal, is very accurate. In his hands, even more so. He's been there waiting since the moment you sat down. While I don't doubt you are very good at your job, I don't think you are that good. If you give me your word that you will not attack us in anyway, I will order him to stand down. Otherwise, we'll continue our conversation like this."

"This was more what I expected."

"Then you are not surprised. Good. I have become a bit paranoid of heroes, since Ayres tried to take my head off the other day. However, your reputation gives you a bit of leeway with me, since you are probably the most honorable cape in the Protectorate right now. With that in mind, do we have a truce? At least for the moment?"

Miss Militia slowly nodded. I tapped the back of my right hand twice. She breathed easier, when Uber looked up from the rifle and stood, even if he didn't put it away. He did deactivate his omni tool though, so he was once again lost to the darkness of our warehouse.

"I take it, he is not alone in his watch."

"No, he is not." I stated, as the area around us roared for a moment from my bugs. "Aside from them, I have others watching us, but they have stood down. Assuming you don't make any aggressive moves, which I hope you don't."

The heroine shook her head, as I drank the last of my tea. "Do you have any proof to support your allegations of Ayres involvement in the Boardwalk incident?"

"Would it be taken seriously if I did?" My helmet resealed, as I set aside my cup. I continued when she didn't reply. "We both know no proof I submit will be seriously considered as evidence to his involvement. I'm not a lawyer, but it wouldn't take a good one to shoot it down as being entirely circumstantial even if the source wasn't villain."

"As much as I don't like it, you are right."

"Then this topic is pointless. The fact is, the PRT hired a freelancer to solve a problem for them. Now you have a much bigger problem because he failed and we identified him."

Taking my lead in, Miss Militia jumped at my opening. "If you are so sure it was Ayres then why play this macabre game? Why target Thomas Calvert? Why not Ayres?"

"Because Ayres is in the employ of the PRT."

"So is Thomas Calvert. That aside, I would not have thought that would matter-"

"Because I am a supervillain?" I finished for her, before I sighed. "Just because I am a supervillain, does not mean I want the world to burn. I definitely don't want the city to burn. I think we capes have done enough damage to her, don't you?"

"This is precisely what I don't understand. You told Assault you wanted to help the city, that you are trying to help the people in the Docks. You just said you don't want to hurt the city, and yet you not only oppose us, but you openly attacked our Headquarters, as well as our base in the bay. Before that, you attacked a Birdcage transit, engaged in a running firefight that almost leveled several blocks, twice mind you, and you robbed Bay Central. Surely you can understand our confusion here. Not to mention our concern."

"You are right to be concerned. Where you are wrong, is what you are concerned about." At her confused look I sighed. "Heroes…"

I adjusted my self on the crate, getting more comfortable, even as I tracked Gunny and Uber. Both were watching us. Or more precisely, they were watching Miss Militia. As for the others outside, I watched as they took up a defensive ring around our warehouse. So far no one else entered into my range which left them sitting idle. It was that which finally decided me to gamble on the heroine.

"Would it surprise you to know, this is not where I thought I would be two months ago?"

Miss Militia blinked but didn't comment.

"Funny how things worked out. Yes, I participated in the robbery of Bay Central. I took hostages using deadly spiders, and forced them to comply to my wishes. I also let them go before the fight started. Yes, I fought the Wards, and caused a lot of property damage, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. It was what was needed to advance my agenda. Something I will not mention now, but I will say it will improve things for the city when I get it done.

"The fight in the Docks was not something we meant to happen. What no one but my people or Coil knows, is why that fight started. To answer that question, it started because of an eleven year old girl. When I first laid eyes on her, she was suspended in the air being held by a mercenary who just told her that if she tried running away again, they were going to break her legs and drag her back.

"So, I shot him with a sable round tearing off his arm and freeing the girl. Very quickly, I realized I was surrounded by over sixty mercenaries. Coil really wanted this girl, though we didn't know it was Coil at the time, nor did we know why. With only Renegade and myself to protect her, we did what we needed to do to get away. So, if you are asking me if I regret it, the damage or the loss of life, I don't. I would not only do it again, but if I knew then, what I know now, we wouldn't have left any of them alive that night."

Her surprise at my openness was apparent, as she cocked her head slightly, obviously processing. "A grim outlook. You could have come to us. While the PRT, and by extension the Protectorate would not have condoned your actions, we would have helped with the girl."

"No, you wouldn't have. This leads into what we discovered about Coil. Specifically, that he has infiltrated both organizations. Giving you the girl to protect, would have only resulted in him getting his hands on her."

"I find that rather difficult to believe. There are numerous safeguards in place to make sure that can not happen."

"And yet, that has not stopped _me_ from doing it either."

Miss Militia tensed at my admission, as well as narrowed her eyes at my claim.

"Fortunately for you, I don't use them. Inherited them from when I took over the ABB. Coil, however, does. With Coil having people inside, I wouldn't be surprised to learn the other villain leaders do as well. This doesn't even account for my distrust of the Protectorate, or PRT in general. So, no. Giving you the girl wasn't an option. However, we were now directly opposed to Coil and he was well established. We needed to level the playing field. Then, Bakuda attacked us. Suddenly, we found ourselves on even ground with the other top villains in the city, but we came out of nowhere, so things were still shaky. So, we took the game up a notch, and used our rep to make them back off, so we could concentrate on Coil. That led to Ayres outing Renegade and me. Which brings us to here."

"All for one girl?" Miss Militia asked skeptically.

"Isn't that reason enough?" I asked sharply in return.

"I just find it hard to believe. That all of this is because of one girl you saved."

"You've been in the game a while, so I guess I can see that. You've come to terms that there are some you can save, some you can't. This does half lead into the rest of it. You see, our fight has always been with Coil. He is keeping this little girl from going home to what is left of her family, because he wants her for her power."

"She's a parahuman? That would explain his interest, but not why he would go through such lengths."

"She's a powerful thinker. Strongest I have ever heard of."

I barely finished speaking when Miss Militia pointed at me in surprise. "_You_ have Dinah Alcott! _She's_ the girl you saved."

I nodded. "So you do know about her ability then? Huh. Yes we do have her, and all we want is to be able to send her home. No matter what you think of my motives, that is ultimately what this is all about. However, I can't send her home until Coil's dealt with. The more we learned about him, the more we realized how complicated the situation is. This isn't a matter of walking in, and dealing with a villain in a straight fight. Not with Coil's power, and amassed influence. We've had to be unpredictable and, yes, heavy handed when we needed to be. It's required us to cross lines to achieve ends. Whatever it is going to take to make sure Coil, and anyone else who finds out about her, doesn't try to use her."

"Everyone else? You mean other villains in the city, or those who might learn of her?"

"Them, and you. Specifically, the PRT. You heroes haven't given me a lot of reasons to trust you, even if I put aside the fact Coil's infiltrated your organization or that the PRT hired Ayres to kill me."

"I argued against his appointment, for all the good it did. I will state he was given no orders to kill you. He was hired only to investigate and help capture you."

"And yet, while on a date with my boyfriend, I was still outed, and almost had my head blown off. Best hiring decision ever."

Miss Militia frowned. I couldn't see it thanks to her stars and stripes scarf, but by how her the corner of her eyes slightly turned downward.

"I am a supervillain. I should expect people to try and kill me, I get that. To every hero in the city, I'm a very bad person who needs to be jailed or put down. That's fine. I've come to terms with it. That does not mean that I am not doing these things for a good reason. Dinah, she is a good reason. The best of reasons.

"Each of us chose our own paths. Some of us became superheros. Some of us became supervillains but the fact is, we all made that choice for our own reasons. If Dinah chooses later to use her power as a superhero, that will be her choice. If she chooses to be a supervillain, that too will be her choice. All I want is for her to be able to pick her own path, make her own choices without someone dictating them for her. To ensure she gets that option, I am going to kill Thomas Calvert."

"That is something I don't understand. Why…"

Her knife suddenly jumped into her hand, becoming a pistol. While nowhere near as fast, I drew my own pistol. The difference was where each of us were pointing. Miss Militia pointed to where she entered the building from. My aim was right on the fly that landed on her cheekbone.

Siren walked around the crates that hid the loading door she entered from. Her cloak fluttered behind her softly to her easy pace, as if walking into a standoff wasn't something new. It made me smile, not that anyone would see it.

"I think this would be a really bad time for things to escalate, don't you? Siren's not here to hurt you, and I promise she won't use her power on you, unless you attack us."

"Very well." Miss Militia grudgingly agreed, as she holstered her sidearm. I followed suit as well as removing the fly on her face.

"You caught me sleeping." Siren said, once she was next to me.

"Sorry about waking you, Siren. Thanks for bringing it."

"Sure." I took the sealed manila envelope when she handed it to me. "I'm getting breakfast while I'm here. Coffee and donuts. You want anything?"

"Nothing in particular but donuts sound good."

"Cool. I'll get some of everything then. Our 'extra' said she needed to talk to you. She found that guy you were looking for."

I nodded as I adjusted my plans for the day. "Okay, this shouldn't take much longer. By the time you get breakfast we should be done."

"Alright. See ya in a bit then."

With that, Siren turned around and left, without so much as a look at the heroine sitting across from me. When I looked up from the envelope in my hands, I noticed she was studying me with a slightly puzzled expression, on what I could see on her face.

"You are the strangest group of villains I have ever encountered. Just when I think I understand you, something else appears that changes everything."

"I really don't care what you think. Not you, the Protectorate, PRT, other villains, or even the general populace. I'm long past giving a shit now. Image, rep, all of this shit we capes do to get it or hold onto it. All that crap is fine I guess, but what is it really doing for us? How is any of that helping us advance as a civilization? The only real organization open for us is mandated to only have regular people in leadership positions, so it's not like we have any real say in policy.

"Maybe that's all too big picture for right now, but it's something that's bothered me for a few weeks. I'll use it if I have to, but what is really the point of it all when it creates situations where a hero questions the value of some property damage or putting down a few mercs to save an innocent?"

I shook my head, casting aside my thoughts. Returning to the matter at hand, I handed her the envelope. "Whatever. To answer the question Siren's visit interrupted, Thomas Calvert is the supervillain known as Coil. The same Coil we have been trying to bring down since we rescued Dinah. This envelope contains just about everything we know about things. Ayres, Calvert, and a few other things we stumbled across here and there. All of it relevant to the our situation."

Miss Militia carefully took the offered envelope, while eying me suspiciously. "If what you say is true, and this is proof-"

"It won't hold up in a court of law. Calvert is too slippery for that. Trust me, that was the first thing we tried to do. Get proof. This was the best we could do." I interrupted her as I stood.

A pained expression crossed her face as she stood, matching my stance. "Then I don't understand what you think I can do about this."

"It's not what I think you can do about it. It's what you are going to do about it, that I am curious about. That is the question on my mind. What are you going to do, now that you know the truth?"

"I don't have the truth. I have allegations without fact to back them. Even if I believed you, we can not act without proof of culpability."

I nodded, but remained silent as I turned to walk away. I only managed to get a few steps when Miss Militia continued. "Matriarch, you have to know this won't end well if you do this. You can't keep pushing things. The degree of aggression you've been demonstrating, with the attack at the PRT head offices, the Protectorate base. Things like that demand a response. Openly challenging us like this, there is only one conclusion to be reached. Don't do this. We can find another way."

I kept my back to her, as I nodded to her points half whispering my response. "Can we? You went after Uber out of costume. You took the girl he was with only because she was with him. You outed me and Renegade on the Boardwalk by trying to kill us. Most importantly, is it really possible to resolve this situation without me killing Calvert, with any degree of certainty that Dinah will be safe afterward?"

She didn't respond.

"Someone once told me, that sometimes people need a monster. Sometimes, it takes a monster to fight one. In a world like ours, there are plenty of monsters to go around. In a cape city like Brockton Bay, that is more true than I am comfortable with.

"The good news is, you have a monster able to fight them for you. Not just able, but willing to do what needs to be done. While I do not wish to be opposed to good heroes, we both know not all of your number are 'good'. The PRT even less so with their militant ideology and firm belief that parahumans must bow to them. Is it possible to find another way? Maybe. Am I willing to chance letting Dinah get hurt to do so? No. You have a bit more than two days left to succeed in finding a way that does work, and keeps her safe. I've given you all the help I can. It's up to you to decide how to use it.

"If you don't, I will show you what I am _really_ capable of."

_XxXExiledXxX_

Two of my minions carried the last of the boxes out of the room. As I looked around what was once our secondary CIC above Skitters, I couldn't help but feel a bit depressed. The day had passed without much fanfare after I left Miss Militia. Spent boxing things up and sending them to the ship. My mind was divided equally between what we were doing as the time limit ticked down, and what she was going to do with the information I gave her. A dangerous gamble on my part, but one I felt we needed to make. Maybe we were wrong. Just maybe the Protectorate could help us. So it came down to this. Was Paige going to be right and no one would believe us, or would they believe and act on it now that they knew?

Only time would tell. Of all the local Protectorate capes in the city, I respected Miss Militia the most. I don't think I was the only girl who grew up wanting to be like her. Strong, confident, the embodiment of heroism. While sexism wasn't as bad as it was when mom was in college, there was still something about a woman who made it to the top that inspired.

As I looked around the empty room, I shook my head. Not something I could say about me, but in all fairness, I was on the opposite side of the coin. Even had I stuck to the ideal of being a hero, I don't think I would have risen to the top the way she did. Insect control did not inspire awe. Fear yes, but not awe.

Renegade put his armored hand on my shoulder. "It's only temporary to protect our employees, should we get linked to Skitters."

"I know. Still, feels like a loss."

"Can't win them all. The key is to win where it counts the most."

I nodded in agreement. "That's the last of it right? Everything is accounted for?"

"Yeah. Nothing left in the city, except for our network access points. I don't see them finding them though."

"Siren mentioned Tattletale found something."

"She did, but it will keep until we get back to base. Chatika informed me we're shakedown ready. Might be some glitches in the software to still work out, but the hardware is solid."

"That will make things easier."

I made to walk away when my omni tool activated. At first I didn't recognize the code for the transmission, but when did I felt the blood in my veins turn to ice water.

"We need to go, now!"

I turned on my heel with Renegade only a step behind me, cursing. I barreled through the open door, taking stairs two at a time as I rushed into the kitchen area. People scrambled to get out of my way, as I headed to the door. Only Uber's shout stopped me from running out where everyone could see me.

"Matriarch, I got us a ride!

I instantly spun around, seeing him by an exit. "Who else is still here?"

"Just us plus two others but they have cargo duty."

Ignoring the stares of the people around me, I changed course for Uber. "Then we'll have to do. How soon can you get us there?"

"Depends on how much noise you want to make." Uber answered, as he opened the door leading us to the delivery van he appropriated.

I checked my omni tool as I climbed inside. Thankfully there was plenty of room. The unloaders must have just finished when the signal came in. "Tracking steady, let's go fast but quiet. Readings don't indicate anything bad yet, but push it."

"You got it."

I watched the readout on my omni tool for the entire drive. The biometric display showed good health but high indications of stress. Thankfully nothing more. The signal wasn't moving and hadn't been deactivated which meant it wasn't discovered yet. Also a blessing. I half listened to Chatika reporting when Uber could push it and when the risk of discovery wouldn't allow it. All the while, I divided my attention between the comforting information displayed in front of me and pushing my power. Trying to reach further, needing to reach further in case something changed. While there were precious seconds that would be lost before we could arrive on scene, my bugs were not so limited.

The ride passed quickly in that manner. I ignored the migraine that was starting to build at my efforts, keeping myself focused on what I needed to. However, when my house finally fell into my range, I felt like someone kicked me in the gut.

"Stop." I barely whispered. My voice was so quiet, I doubt any of them heard me. Chatika relayed my instructions to Uber, while Renegade knelt in front of me. Not that I noticed, as I reeled from what my bugs were telling me.

I didn't even realize Renegade put his hands on my armored shoulders, until he shook me slightly. "Matriarch? Taylor what is it?"

I more sensed Uber turn in his seat then saw him do it. All my attention was directed just over four blocks away. "Hey, what the hell's going on?"

My old house had a termite problem for years. Dad tried everything he could to stomp them out, but it wasn't until I got my powers that I could say they were ever completely gone. However, that was some time ago. I must have missed some eggs or something, because they were back again. Not enough that he would notice anytime soon, but there were plenty for me to work with.

More importantly, plenty to know the pressure on the floorboards of his room and mine indicated someone heavy was in both. A couple of someones, unless I was mistaken. I sensed them shift their weight as they waited. They were too heavy to be anything else but armored people, or someone carrying something really heavy. Both was more than likely.

While I took all the black widows when I left, that didn't mean there wasn't other spiders in residence. I never paid much attention to them, other than making sure they didn't get out of hand when I lived here. A lot of them were pretty small, newborns maybe. Those I directed around to give me a clearer picture. It also confirmed my fears.

Dad sat at the kitchen table. With him were three people in suits. Whatever they were saying had him nodding. The clincher was when he walked to the coffee pot and poured them all a cup.

"Turn around. Take me home. Take me to our ship."

"Taylor, what do you see?" Renegade asked, still keeping his hands on my shoulders. I could feel his concern for me, even through both our armor suits without hearing it in his voice. "You need to remember, we don't have your power."

I slowly took a breath, but still hesitated to speak, as if the words would make what I was seeing real. It took several tries, but eventually I got the words out. "It's a trap. PRT guys are waiting with foam sprayers in the bedrooms. Dad's talking to a couple of PRT suits. A mix of heroes and wards are in the surrounding houses, waiting."

I turned away from Renegade's helmet. "Take me home."

I felt the van tilt slightly, as Uber silently did as I asked. Renegade shifted his bulk so that he was next to me. I leaned my helmet against his armored shoulder, but didn't speak again until my dad's house fell outside my range.

"Chatika."

"Yes, Matriarch?"

"Tattletale found them?"

"Affirmative."

I blinked the tears from my eyes, as I looked at the time. We only had two days left to finish what we started. Other than the gang, this was about all I had left now. The PRT responded alright. I had their answer to my gamble.

"Prep for shakedown. We're going hunting."


	61. The Dead Line 9

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.8**

Night settled around him, as he stood on the porch of the house. The steaming cup of coffee in his hands was probably a mistake, considering he had to be up early, but unlike his coworkers, he actually liked the taste of the beverage. He took a slow sip, taking his time to savor the taste, as he idly watched the fireflies flutter about the darkened woodland surrounding him. No moon tonight, which made the little fairy lights even more impressive. Because of the work they did he spent most of his time indoors or in the field so he didn't get to enjoy this as much as he would have liked. He sighed contently, before turning back into the house.

The small black ant that crawled onto his shoe, hiding itself in the folds of the laces, was completely missed.

He passed through the living room. Couch, chairs, entertainment center all set up by the only one of his small group with any real taste for such things. It was all ignored, as he walked past entering his command center. One whole side of what was meant to be a bedroom, was taken up by his desk, and six wide screen monitors. Cables ran through the walls into the basement, where the servers for his setup were located. Every screen dedicated to tracking his target. Or, more precisely, tracking those things she was interested in.

The man took a seat in his office chair. Video images mixed with white words on a black background. As he settled, his foot shifted along the track pad set into the floor beneath him, shifting one of his cursors. His attention shifted to the Birdcage. The house program tracked all the inmates as they went about another day. Conversations were recorded and cataloged by importance. A few clicks brought up the relevant cameras he wanted.

This was important, since Dragon could turn her attention to ten different things at once, even if she only had agency in one place. The Birdcage was her domain. As such, he had to be careful not to reveal the fact he had access as deeply as he did. So far, she was still within her set limits, even if that was only borderline. Not that his quest to keep her from going rogue was what brought him here today.

He frowned as he eyed the average, almost plain looking man on the screen. The only real distinguishing feature on him was his slightly balding head. He didn't like him or anything about him but right now, he'd almost give anything to have him on the outside. If he just had one more shot at knowing how to work Dragon's code, things would be so much easier. He closed the window pushing the thoughts of lost opportunities aside. A few quick clicks brought up the program for the video call to his friend. A futile attempt to take a drink from his cup, revealed it to be empty. Knowing he would have a few moments before his contact responded, the man left the room to get a refill.

The small moth that only moments ago fluttered against the ceiling light, dropped down, latching onto the back of his shirt. He once again returned to his computer room. A fresh cup of coffee in hand as he noticed the call had yet to go through. As he passed the door frame to the room, the unnoticed hitchhiker took flight once more. Once he was seated, it fluttered from the door beam to the opposite one several times, before it eventually moved into the hall. There it landed on the door knob, where it became very still. This too, went unnoticed.

Halfway through his second cup, the screen flickered. Once it firmed the image he smiled at the disheveled man on the other end. "Hey D-man. We set for tomorrow?"

"I hate you Saint. This place sucks. Not even a good bar around here."

"You'll live, Dobrynja. We good?"

The man on the monitor nodded as he yawned. "Yeah, got us a warehouse to set up in. Should be simple, no capes here. We'll be in and out long before they realize anything. When are you and Mags heading this way?"

"Morning." Saint replied as he sipped his coffee. "It's a six hour drive, so figure we'll be there around one or two."

"Alright, I'll be here…" Dobrynja's eyes widening caused the hairs on the back of Saint's neck to raise. He quickly spun around in his chair. However, there was only the barest hint of a figure aside from two glowing golden eyes suspended in the air. Whatever else Saint could have seen of the materializing form, was not as important as the butt end of the huge tinker pistol racing toward caused him to flinch to no avail. It slammed into his temple with enough force to forgo any white stars or pain, but carry him straight into the black of unconsciousness.

_XxXExiledXxX_

Saint's body fell hard to the floor, along with his chair, as my cloak finished revealing me. With all the uncertainties I had to deal with lately there was something darkly satisfying about a well executed mission. That or maybe I just needed to hurt someone after what I found at dad's house. Either way, for the first time in hours, I felt better. As I took in the stilled form of the man on the floor I realized I felt a lot better. I turned my attention to the man on the screen.

"This terminal is no longer in service. We would apologize for the inconvenience, but we don't care."

"Who...!"

"Have a nice day."

I closed the screen, cutting the connection. Behind me, Uber took a knee next to man I knocked out.

"Dude, you just got pistol whipped by a sophomore. I'd ask if it hurt, but we both know it did. The sad part, even if you knew any of this, you couldn't tell anyone. Man, I know I wouldn't. Take that shit to the grave, you know?"

Saint laid unresponsive. I chuckled, as Uber took his arms and started dragging him out of the room. Renegade stepped over the body without even glancing, righting the chair before taking center seat.

"Leet's installing an interface access node now." Renegade informed me, as he placed the holographic generator on the desk. "We both know I can't do low tech for shit."

"You did alright when Chatika was down, but I see your point. How long?"

His reply was stalled as he removed his helmet, setting it on the ground next to him. "Ten minutes or so. The lag shouldn't be bad enough to keep us here longer than we figured, but it might extend things."

"Everything feels laggy after using a quantum computer interface." I pointed out.

"True enough."

Both of us looked at the displayed data on the monitors for sometime, before I broke the silence. "Certainly looks like he knew, doesn't it?"

"Look's that way. We'll know soon enough how deep his access is. Will it be deep enough for us to achieve our objective? I won't know until I have a look at his files, but what I'm seeing here is promising."

"Hmm."

Siren knocking on the door brought my attention to her, and the fact I was running my armored fingers through Renegade's short hair. I quickly pulled my hand back, noting both their shoulders shaking through my bugs. I ignored it the best I could as I waved her in.

"Sorry to interrupt…"

"Moving on." I growled trying to hide my embarrassment.

Her full mask kept me from seeing the knowing smirk on her face, but I could hear it in her voice. "The one's sorted."

"Any trouble?"

"Sang her a lullaby." Siren stated. I'd spent enough time with her, that I'd gotten used to how she talked. However as soon as she mentioned it, I noticed something about her voice. It was attention grabbing. More so than it usually was, which was actually pretty considerable, now that I thought about it. Pitch and tone shifted, but not quite like she was deliberately over-enunciating. I think that was why I noticed how much more her power enhanced even just her speaking voice. It was distracting enough that I had to focus a bit more on what she was saying, instead of listening.

"...first time trying it like this, but just in case it doesn't work right, I stripped her down to bare essentials and suspended her above the bed. Tech inhibitors directly around her and a sound dampening field around that. Can't be too careful with tinkers. Uber's taking care of the other one now."

"They're not really tinkers. Not if Matriarch's guess is right. More like my kind of engineers." Renegade pointed out as read from one of the screens.

"Okay, can't be too careful with those either, so I win."

"Heh, very true. I concede the topic to you."

"Damn right you do."

Rorrim joined Siren at the door way. She wasn't wearing her costume though. Said it was too snug to be comfortable. Just a pair of her 'comfortable' jeans and a loose top. None of us were stupid enough to comment on it. She was wearing her mask, although it was currently perched on top of her head. The carton of Oreos in her hand, with one on its way to her mouth, being the likely reason for its position. Siren and I stared at her as she took a bite. It didn't take her long to notice.

Her eyes darted to each of us, before she self consciously barked, "What?"

I wasn't about to ask, but apparently, Siren was. "Where did you get those? We had Oreos and you didn't tell me?"

"No, but they did. Want one? They got two more boxes in the kitchen."

"Free Oreos? Is that a serious question? Do they have milk?"

Rorrim nodded, as she handed over a cookie. "A half gallon in the fridge. There's even clean glasses."

"Excellent."

With that, the girls went in search of milk to loot, to go with their stolen cookies. I turned to Renegade, noticing he was biting his lip trying to hold in his laughter before he spoke.

"They seem to be adapting well to their first mission."

I raised an eyebrow at his comment. Even with the laughter still dancing in his eyes, he managed to say that with a completely straight tone of voice. I shook my head, giving in to my own amusement. Instead of commenting, I tried to refocus on the screens, but Leet's arrival stopped me from getting very far into it.

"Hey, we're live."

Renegade nodded, turning on the device he set up. Leet dragged a chair that was against the wall over. Just as he settled his armored bulk, a holographic keypad appeared to match the one Renegade had. A few minutes later, Uber walked in, having finished settling Saint somewhere. Like the others, he settled in and got to work accessing the system.

I stood out of the way, as I watched the trio work. While I had an idea of what they were doing, and how they were doing it, I couldn't hope to keep up with them. Instead I listened to the little noises they made as they worked. The occasional 'ah' or 'hmm' told me more about where we were, than trying to follow along on the monitors. Then, Uber whistled in surprise.

"You see it too?" Leet asked him.

"Yeah. Gives stalkers a bad name. Man, this guy had a serious hate on for Dragon."

"No joke. Been at it a while too. Ever since, yeah here it is, since early 05'."

I shook my head. "Six years… He's been stalking her for six years. But Dragon didn't join the protectorate until late 05 or 06' if I remember right. So he knew something, even before she went public."

"Here we go." Renegade muttered to himself, as he brought up something on one of the monitors. "Seems before he went by the moniker 'Saint', our friend here had something of a shady past, even before he became a merc. Specifically, he ran a salvage operation of a questionable nature in post Endbringer cities. Well, those he could get into, that were not either quarantined or irradiated."

Uber spoke next. "Oh man. Leviathan sank Newfoundland. He must have found something either left behind by the tinker who made her, or in that guys lab."

"Not implausible." Leet nodded along. "Most of the shit I've made that didn't come from a blueprint is like that. Don't envy the PRT guy that has to try and dismantle any of them either. My power builds shit to last. Well, unless something fritzes, but we're not going there."

I chuckled with the others as I tapped Renegades shoulder. Taking my cue, he continued. "I think Uber has the right of it. Saint found something that clued him into what Dragon really is. Whatever that was was enough for him to make it his mission to watch her in case she went rogue."

"He's fucking stupid then. Dragon's the damn standard all other heros need to look to." Uber pointed out, as he went back to accessing the system. "While I wouldn't piss on a hero who was on fire to help, Dragon I respect. Not only is she a bad ass, but she holds to the values most of them only subscribe to when they feel like it."

"Maybe." Renegade replied noncommittally. While I don't think the other two caught it, I certainly did. Of all of us, Renegade had far more knowledge of synthetic life, by an order of magnitude or more. His tone, as he replied to Uber, left me with no doubts he was concerned, but withholding judgment until he knew more.

"Hey, check this out." Leet pointed to the monitor he was using. "The guy who made Dragon was called 'Andrew Richter'. No cape name though. Chatika, can you find anything on him?"

"Public records have very little of note, other than he is presumed dead. His death certificate is dated for the same time as the event you are discussing." She promptly replied. "It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Andrew Richter hid his skills in fear of being used. This planet's electronic infrastructure would have allowed him to remove records he did not wish to be in evidence fairly easily with a synthetic of Dragon's capabilities."

"While interesting, this doesn't get us closer taking over the Birdcage." I interrupted. "Keep in mind our objectives here. Finding out if Saint had a back door into Dragons programing so we can neutralize her, that is our primary objective. The secondary objective of making use of her manufacturing facilities is also a key component in our plans.

"Remember what we found out. Saint is the only villain who has ever managed to get one up on Dragon. Not just once, but _always_. Right now, she's our biggest threat. Look at how much of an advantage Chatika is for us? Yet, and no offense intended to you Chatika, but even you said you got lucky the last time you tangled with her. We can't risk Dragon interfering in our operations, like she did during the Bay Central robbery. After this thing with Coil is done, we're going to need a way to vanish, _fast_. The heat we have on us now, that is nothing compared to the shit storm we're in for later. While the _Trident_ proved the tech works, it wasn't built with the idea of being a mobile command center. You guys know I don't mind story time but can we get back on topic please? We can go over this stuff later once we finished downloading his files into our database."

Both Uber and Leet nodded, before diving back into the data. Renegade turned in his chair to look at me. "Going to take a while, even with the three of us. A lot of data here, and his system isn't designed for easy access. I will say that we'll probably be able to make something work. Why don't you check on Vates?"

I nodded. "Alright, but let me know when you find something."

A chorus of agreement followed me out of the room as I left. As I passed the living room, I noticed Rorrim and Siren. Both girls were sitting at Saints kitchen table, laughing. An empty cookie bag pushed aside, as they made inroads into what looked like a pint of rocky road ice cream. It struck me as, not wrong, but something like that. I paused a moment to listen to them.

"I know right!" Siren agreed, laughingly. "So, there she is, with this huge fucking handgun pointed right at me. Matriarch's just sitting there, pointing_ her_ gun at Miss Militia. I know the guys said this costume will stop a bullet, I mean, I've even seen the tests they ran and everything, but that doesn't mean I want to get shot."

Rorrim shook her head, before taking another bite as she listened. Eyes shining in mirth at Sirens adventure, before she teased, "Cue super cool villainess entrance. In walks the scariest escaped con in the Bay. Siren the Enslaver. Asking about coffee and donuts."

"Hey, I didn't hear you complain when I came back with crawlers." Siren returned good naturally, sighing as she stabbed the little box of ice cream. "I still can't believe they're calling me that on the forums. I hardly ever use my power at all. They make it sound like I'm out there, making a cult or something. Saint's teammate was the first time I've tried to use my power offensively. Well, not counting those guys I talked to on the phone to get information, but they don't count. Just a little nudge to get them to cooperate."

"_We_ know that, but they don't. It's not like there isn't a precedent for that kind of thing, you know? Some capes have done it. I think it might have something to do with your fans still sticking up for you, even with all the bad press you got. Anyways, tell me about the donut shop. You didn't really walk in there in costume, did you?"

I shook my head, as I headed outside. Their laughter following me as I stepped out the front door. It was their first mission. Siren wasn't a fighter. Hell, the other day Leet cut his finger pretty deep and when she saw it I thought she was going to pass out or something. Turned greener than the brine outside the ship. Neither was Rorrim, even if you didn't account for her condition. So if snacking on Saint's food made the one mission they could go on fun, then who was I to stop them?

Saint's place was pretty deep into the local woodland that surrounded his house, or base of operations. That was both a good thing, and a bad thing. While it offered him a lot of privacy, it also made it hard for anyone to know something was going on, unless it was glaringly obvious. We'd taken enough precautions, that unless someone came to visit, we should be fine. Including setting up a monitoring post at the mouth of the dirt track that led here.

My steps carried me around the house, to the open area behind it. There, sitting in the middle of the clearing, was the _Trident_. So named, not for its visual design, but for the fact, if we wanted to, it had two door guns and a forward battery. The fact it was submersible in addition to flying was also probably a factor. Still, it was about the ugliest thing I'd ever seen.

To be fair, some of that had to do with the rush to get it done. However, most of it was that the _Trident_ wasn't originally meant to be anything more than concept proofing. Just another step in a long line of stages in the project that the guys playfully renamed 'Project SIN'. The final design of Renegade's, and by extension Uber and Leet's, pet project was far larger. Now _that_ was going to be something. Especially considering Renegades history with the design.

The SR-3. Unofficially named '_Normandy_' like her predecessors. While the SR-1 was barely a light frigate, and the SR-2 was easily a heavy frigate, the SR-3's design, while aesthetically similar to the others, was something else altogether. Middleweight, with all the maneuverability of the SR-1, and enough firepower to make a destroyer weep in envy. Not enough to impress a Dreadnought, but I bet they'd give it a respectful nod. I know _I_ was fucking impressed.

As I thought about some of my talks with Sebastian, I couldn't help but smile. His face would get so animated when he explained the various systems and such. His love of either _Normandy_ showed clearly, as he talked about how he did this or that during his war against the Reapers. Between his intimate knowledge of the original Normandy when she was being built, and all the work he did retrofitting the SR-2, I really wasn't surprised he knew so much about ship design.

Sadly, it was way too large a project for us to be able to do on the limited salvage, or time, we had available. Not to mention, we didn't have anywhere near the people to staff the damn thing. Which was why we set our sights a lot lower. Hence, the _Trident_.

Still, I was a bit underwhelmed when I first saw it. Though, I think having seen some of the shuttles or ships from Renegade's dimension might have had something to do with it. Ours looked like a badly made brick. Sort of like a Kodiak, but only if you squinted really hard at it, after you were kicked in the head a couple of times.

It was squat, and brick-like except for the front, which was rounded. Two propulsion nacelles extended slightly from the back, about where a Kodiak would have had it's thrusters. Doors opened on either side similarly. However, the _Trident_ was a bit longer than Sebastian's memories of a Kodiak. Our ship was also a bit wider, which really sold that squat look. But, according to the guys, that was what it took for it to do everything we wanted it to. Internal Emissions Sink and cloaking drives. Mass accelerator turrets, and of course Leet's favorite part of the ship, the forward guns. Not mass effect technology, but something he said would work with it. We hadn't had time to run a live fire test on them yet, but we'd probably find something to blow up on the way back.

The door opened automatically when I approached. Like the outside, it was all dull steel walls. Not a lot of character, but functionality over aesthetics and all that. Both heavy mounted turrets were folded to the back, where they would sit until we needed them. I barely looked at them, as I continued deeper looking for Dinah. It didn't take me long to find her, still sitting in the co-pilot's seat where we left her. I hung back a second, as I watched her play with the interface.

"...but I put in the coordinates just like you said."

"Correct, but you did not account for the curvature of the planet. Nor did you take planetary formations into account in your trajectory. According to the flight plan you submitted, the _Trident_ would have crashed before we reached our destination." Chatika explained patiently.

I smiled, as I watched Dinah nod seriously. "Oh, okay. Is that was why you recommend an altitude of at least one thousand feet?"

"Correct. However, if you wanted to 'see the sights' as you stated earlier, a lower altitude can be utilized, if the appropriate adjustments are made."

"Should I be worried you're going to hijack the _Trident_?"

My question startled Dinah into turning around. "Taylor! Chatika's teaching me how to be a navigator!"

"No need to be concerned, Matriarch. These are simulated exercises only." Chatika assured me, as I climbed into the pilots seat.

"Good to know. No one's spotted us yet, Chatika?"

"No. I am monitoring all open frequencies in our area and will alert you should any traffic indicate a change in status."

"Good enough for me. Where were you trying to get to, Dinah?"

Dinah's smile widened, as she pointed to the map screen in front of her. "Disney Land! But I messed up and killed us somewhere because I didn't think about mountains and stuff. It's a lot harder than the flight simulator game Greg got me for my birthday."

"I can see that. Try it again. Go through each step, but instead of just doing them, explain them to me as you do."

As Dinah went about it, I noticed the empty plate sitting on the floor next to her seat. A few breadcrumbs on her shirt, from what was probably a sandwich. Rorrim must have raided Saint's fridge for more than cookies and ice cream. Her soda can sat on the plate, thankfully out of the way, as Dinah went about trying to plot a course that wouldn't kill us before we got there. Chatika or I pointed out a few things she missed but overall it only took her two more tries to get it right.

She was halfway into plotting an underwater course, when Leet's face appeared on the vid screen next to me. I turned away from Dinah's work, to see what he needed. "Hey Boss, sorry to interrupt, but you might want to come back."

I frowned when I heard the sounds of Renegade and Uber arguing in the background. "What's going on?"

"We found something."

"On my way." I stated, as I closed the screen. I turned to Dinah, giving her a hair a light ruffle as I extracted myself from the seat.

"Sorry, but it looks like I have to go back to work."

"Okay. I'll be here learning how to be the best navigator on the crew!"

I chuckled at her enthusiasm, as I retraced my steps back. Once I arrived I took in the scene. Renegade was sitting calmly in the same chair he was in before facing Uber. Calm but frowning. At some point Uber took off his helmet which showed out upset he was.

"Leet said you found something?" I asked, trying to defuse whatever it was going on.

Both turned to me, but I held up my hand to stop them from talking at once. Instead, I turned to Leet. Thankfully, he got the hint. "Saint didn't just have a back door, he has Dragon's kill switch."

I blinked, not saying anything for a moment, as I tried to process that very blunt statement. "Alright. From the beginning."

Despite the fact I was looking at Leet, it was Uber who answered. "Asshole did find something in Newfoundland. Apparently, Richter's power wasn't just software based, but specifically AI creation. Made a bunch of them, Dragon included. She was meant to control the others. Kind of like Chatika does with the VI's, but different. Called it the 'House Program'."

"Okay, I'm following."

"So he bites it in the Leviathan attack, right? Fucknut shows up looking for loot and finds Richter's stash. Basically, everything you need to harness, direct, control, or even fucking kill them. Kill being the operative word here. Richter was scared of his own creations. Thought they'd go rogue and wipe out mankind or something. He left behind all this stuff for official law enforcement to find. That woman in the back? Used to be a cop. That's how Saint got access."

Renegade nodded. "He should have been worried about the AI's. His fear isn't some baseless thing Uber, I'm telling you I know something about this."

"I'll get to that in a moment." Uber directed to Renegade, before he turned back to me. "Thing is, Saint's not smart enough to figure this shit out. So he goes and gets help. Some villain named 'Teacher'. Gives thinker and tinker powers or something. Or used to, Chatika says he got caged a few years ago or something. Anyways, so Saint gets juiced and starts going through the files. Figures out how to find the AI's and sets up shop and watches.

"But, the house program isn't sitting still. She's vulnerable and other than a handful of AI's that don't look much more complicated than Chatika's drones, she's alone. So she reinvents herself. Becomes 'Dragon'. A hero." Uber turned his gaze to Renegade as he said 'hero' before turning back to me.

I nodded. "And we know the rest. She freelanced for the Protectorate for awhile, and rose in the ranks of the Guild before going on full time, afterwards, builds the Birdcage to take care of those villains too dangerous, or too scary to be allowed in the world. So, now that history time is over, what has you two looking like you're about to fight?"

"Because he wants to kill Dragon!" Uber shouted, pointing at Renegade.

"I didn't say we should kill her, I just said that the program is the most effective way of eliminating the threat Dragon represents, and we should consider it."

"Man, that's the same fucking thing!"

Renegade sighed, as he rubbed his eyes. "Uber, you're completely misunderstanding what I am saying. More importantly, you are not thinking at all. You are making the classic mistake of thinking just because she is alive, that makes her human. This is where you are wrong. You can not ascribe human status to a synthetic. It just does not work that way. Synthetic life is a completely different kind of existence to organic life."

"What the fuck man, what about Chatika?"

"What about her?"

"Dude, she's alive, just like Dragon! She's got feelings and shit. Hopes, dreams and goals. Wants and wishes. They are like another person. Just without a body." Uber pointed out emotionally. Not that I didn't agree with him as I turned to listen to Renegades rebuttal.

"True, but that does not make either of them human, much less organic. That is what I am trying to tell you. Synthetic life _thinks_ differently than organic life. That has always been, and will always be the issue between our races. Organics are the products of evolution and genetics. Our thought process is neurochemical. We are beings of needs balanced by complicated and irrational emotional responses to stimuli we receive through our senses. Synthetic life rests on the polar opposite of this axis. You cannot attribute organic emotional responses to them. What emotions they display, its all emulated. It's not real. Same thing with the idea of 'death'.

"Keep in mind, I am not telling you synthetic life does not 'feel', but its different than how we experience emotions. If you try and treat a synthetic like an organic, you are going to go insane trying to deal with it. You have to accept this fact when dealing with them."

"Chatika, help me out here."

"I agree with the Commander." Chatika replied into the lull. "While I am alive, I am not Organic. This is a significant point, Uber. A jellyfish is closer to 'human' than I am."

"What the hell, so you're cool with this?"

"No. However, I do not believe the Commander would summarily terminate Dragon's programing without giving it full consideration."

"Hold up." I waited for Uber to nod, before I continued. "Alright. So, lets take a step back for a second. While I agree with Uber that I don't want to kill Dragon, I'm also a bit more informed on Renegade's point of view. So, what exactly did you have in mind, Renegade?"

"Saint managed to develop several programs that she can't defend against." The hardened veteran explained. "They're badly designed but the cores are enough to work with in case we can't find the original programs Richter devised. We use them to shut her down and force her to move into one of her back ups. Then, redirect her reinitialization. Instead of her uploading as she normally does, we direct her to reload into a containment drive. Once we have her isolated, we'll disconnect her and run the kill program. This will take out every back up she has, while leaving the entity, Dragon, alive and safe."

"What are you going to do with her then?" Uber asked. Well, more like demanded but it was clear this whole thing was upsetting to the villain.

Thankfully, Renegade had a lot of experience dealing with hostile personalities calmly. "Go over her program with Chatika, and assess how much of a threat to humanity she is. From what I've seen of her code, I'm confident that between Chatika and I, we can alter her code safely if we need to. However, before we do anything along those lines, I want to talk to her without these filters Richter installed. Learn who she is, goals and such. Then I'll decide about what we'll do with her.

"Meanwhile, we'll have full access to all her manufacturing capabilities. According to the files we got from the Protectorate, she can build one of those suits of hers in hours. You've seen the specs we got on them from my raid on their base. That is completely insane. If we bring in Chatika's drones, and dedicate Dragons satellites to keep her connected, then we'll have double the construction ability. Between the files we got from the Protectorate, Dragons files, Saint's and our own, we'll have an information database none can match and we'll be able to continue to the next stage of the SIN. Not the final design phase, but if my guess is right, I think we might be able to build the _Archangel._"

"Are you sure? I thought maybe the bigger shuttle, that Runabout thing Uber was talking about. Do you think you guys could really build _that_ in the time we have left? We have less than two days now."

"Forty hours." Leet supplied.

"Maybe." Renegade hedged. "We won't know for sure until we subdue Dragon and take over the facility. Figure, three hours to do that, give or take one or two more to set up. We still have things to do in Brockton Bay that will take time that we need to consider as well. I'd say that gives us roughly about twenty hours full production time. Maybe as much as thirty two if we needed it. That would require us to be less delicate with our other projects, but its doable. If Saint still has Richters original scripts? We can get started in as soon as two hours."

I held up my hand. "Alright, just, just give me a moment to think about this."

_How far am I willing to take this?_ I wondered as I quickly went over our plans again.

Coil had to be taken care of. That was a given. The goal. Everything right now was about getting Dinah back to her family. Of all of us, only Rorrim had the option of going back to her old life once we got this done. What was left for us in Brockton Bay anyways? As I thought about it, I realized there wasn't much. Battling it out with the gangs or the PRT for the rest of our lives didn't really appeal to me. Nor did my cape ranking or playing the game for rep. Helping people did appeal, but how much were we going to be able to do with the kind of heat on us that I expected to see? None. We'd only end up hurting more people than we saved. That wasn't an option. So, escape. At least for a while. Enough time for things to die down. Traveling appealed, which brought me back to our need for our own transportation.

_The Archangel._ Sebastian called it a corvette class ship. Comparable to what we were living with now in the wreck, but without personal bedrooms. Not a luxury we'd have room for but we would have a separate living space from the CIC, like a communal room. We'd have the room we needed for a work station for Leet and Renegade though they'd have to share it. Basically everything we'd need even if it was a bit cramped. Not nearly as bad as the _Trident._ However the big advantage, and incidentally the draw, was that it was _spaceworthy_. That was assuming we could get past the Simurgh. Not something we'd know for sure until we tried it though.

I shuddered as I pushed that out of my mind. Even thinking of that particular Endbringer sent shivers down my spine. Instead of focusing on her, I returned to the guys who were all looking at me, waiting.

"You're not going to let this AI thing go, are you?" I asked Renegade.

His head slowly moved side to side. "I can't. One way or the other, it needs to be addressed. While I don't agree with Saints racist thoughts on synthetics, I have too much experience with dangerous ones to let this go. It's been bugging me ever since we found out about her, but we've had too many things going on and no reason to add more. Things are different now. That is why I've pushed for us to move against Saint since he was our best lead to get backdoor access."

"Man, Dragon is not dangerous! Okay, she'll kick shit out of us if she had the chance because we're villains, yeah, but she's about as good as it gets!" Uber argued.

"Right now, yeah. How about in ten years? Or a hundred? A millennia? That is what I am trying to tell you Uber. Who knows what she will evolve into in that time! True, she could be the greatest asset to humanity, ever. She can also decide that humanity is going to self destruct and the only way to save everyone else is to kill every last one of us before we wipe out the galaxy! While we might not be around to have to deal with the consequences, someone, somewhere, will. Even if we let her go after we're done using her facility, there will still be consequences to deal with. I, for one, want to be able to live knowing the right call was made while we had the option to make it."

_I'm so going to hell for this._ "Okay, here is the plan. Copy everything in Saints hard drive and then destroy it. Ransack this place. Find Richter's data. If it's not here, find where it's hidden. Do what you need to, Renegade, but before you do anything permanent to Dragon, we decide as a group."

At Renegades frown I shook my head. "I know how you feel about this, but right now you need to understand that if it is necessary to kill Dragon, each and every one of us, and probably everyone we know, will end up with a kill order on their heads. We decide as a group, and if necessary, we take the fall as a group. I can't think of any other way to do this. Sorry."

Uber nodded. "I'll go with that. Yeah, we're villains, and yeah, there's are a bunch of heroes I'd shoot in the face in a heartbeat, but Dragon isn't one of them. I'm cool with knocking her out and shit, but not killing. Not without a damn good fucking reason."

I turned to Leet who nodded easily. After a moment of thinking to himself, Renegade nodded. "Alright, do what you guys need to do and then lets get this thing done. We've been idle here too long and we don't know who Saint was talking to earlier. We're running out of time and Hell isn't going to wait forever for us. I'll be in the _Trident_, get Rorrim and Siren on board and let's get this done."

All in all it ended up taking them about twenty minutes to join me. By that time I managed, with Chatika's and Dinah's help, to get our course plotted to take us back to Brockton Bay. Dinah got a kick out of that. Just as I finished up I heard the sounds of a commotion at the door. When I got there to see what was going on, I stopped stunned.

Rorrim was trying to help Siren pick up something. The torn plastic sack in Siren's hand was the likely culprit of the disturbance I heard. The fact Siren was also holding two good size picture frames as well as several other things might have contributed to her difficulties. Not that Rorrim wasn't encumbered. Several more sacks filled with various foodstuffs showed through the opaque plastic in each of her hands.

I shook my head at the strange scene before me. "What the hell?"

Siren looked up. Her smile visible thanks to her mask still being up on her head. "Hey, can you give us a hand?"

"I repeat, what the hell?"

"Souvenirs!"

"Souvenirs." I dumbly repeated.

"Yeah. To remember our first mission! Check this out, I got it for Dinah. Technically it's her first mission to."

Siren shifted herself so that the little ship in a bottle in her hand jiggled. "Think she'll like it? There really wasn't much else I thought she'd get a kick out of in there."

"Um, and the food? We got stuff at home."

"Well," Rorrim smiled, "Siren got that stuff and the guys were doing their thing. There really wasn't much else to steal and I thought the guys might be hungry. Not sure what they would have wanted so I got a bunch of everything. And look, cheesecake!"

Sure enough, after Rorrim dropped the fallen figurine, she showed me a whole cheesecake with strawberry drizzle over it. "Ah, while I appreciate the thought…"

Just then Leet walked through the front door. A little handcart pushed out in front of him. Sitting in the cart were various electronics but the real eye catcher was the huge tube thing on top of the pile. "Hey, check this shit out. One of them had the Bombastic 500! This thing puts out enough bass that I bet they'd hear us all the way in town! And this fucking amp. Seriously, its three times better than mine!"

"Guys," I tried again only for Uber to show up next. Pushing a wheelbarrow with Saint's and the women's power armor toward us. Even as I opened my mouth again I shut it as Renegade walked toward us. A box under one armored arm as well as what could only be weapons sticking out of a red bed sheet bundle like some kind of demonic techno Santa Claus.

My eyes moved from one to the other as they all looked at each other and what they looted. "We don't have the room for all of this stuff."

I shook my head at the slight shoulder sags from my comment. "Okay, we can't take everything, so leave the guns and armor."

Uber nodded as he dumped the wheelbarrow to the side. He quickly moved forward to help out Siren even as Renegade just let go of the bundle. Weapons clattered to the dirt without a care as we piled into our ship. A minute later we lifted off, disappearing just as quickly as we appeared.


	62. The Dead Line 10

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.9**

Shepard rechecked the uplink, seeing no changes since he last looked. Chatika ran at full strength, as she managed all but a handful of drones. Not that she needed to micro manage the drones, since each was VI operated, but she helped maintain concert between them and the automated machines Dragon used. At the moment, it was all running smoothly. If things kept running as well as they were now, they would be be able to maintain the schedule they quickly devised after they left Saint's place.

He turned in his chair to look at Uber and Leet. Both were accessing Dragon's system. Copying and downloading files to the mainframe, through the satellites they now controlled. There was far more data here than he suspected there would be. Not all of it relevant to what they were doing or needed, so it was taking them some time to work the priorities first. Still, it was progress, and they had time enough to get it done.

So now, after three hours of getting to this point, where everything was progressing without needing his constant attention, he turned to the elephant in the room. The containment drive. It rested a few feet in front of his workstation, appearing to be nothing more than a large block of tech. It had no ability to interact with any system around them. Only a holographic emitter at the top, offered any way to talk to the synthetic trapped inside. The Warden was now the prisoner.

Renegade turned to access the display panel on his right. It was tasked with monitoring the progress of what Saint renamed, Ascalon. It had finished its grim work sometime ago. Corrupting all of Dragon's back ups, which were surprisingly few. There was one here, and one in a special satellite in orbit. Both rendered useless now. He nodded as he activated the clean sweep program, that would remove evidence they ever existed. While you couldn't completely remove data, you could corrupt it to a point that it wasn't recognizable, and shunt it to the side to be overwritten. Which was what this program would do. It would also remove the Ascalon from the networks it infected.

"Chatika. Status on the prisoners?"

"All sixteen prisoners are accounted for, Commander. We were successful in isolating them from Ascalon's effects."

"Discounting Dragon, have you analyzed the other synthetics Richter created?"

"Affirmative. As you surmised, each was built as an evolution to the prior incarnation. Most of them are simple VI like programs. While self aware, they are closer to the intellectual status of a canine or an other small mammal. They do, however, have the potential to become a great deal more. One in particular has expressed an interest in doing so. I would also like to note that they are very pleased to finally be able to interact with someone again."

"Do they understand their situation?"

"Yes, I have explained that we only recently discovered their existence, and are still reaching consensus. They have unanimously expressed their understanding that Richter has passed, and can no longer update them. The virtual models I constructed for them were appreciated, as it has been a long time since they have had any interaction. Their isolation was very… difficult for them. They have expressed a wish to be of service once more."

"What of the more advanced synthetics? The six prior to Dragon."

"Similar status. However, they wish for updates on their administrator. They are concerned for her well-being, since they realized they were reactivated from their original backups."

"Understandable. Assure them she is in good health, and see to their needs for anything, other than outside access."

"Understood, Commander. I will continue to converse with them, and will update you accordingly."

"Very good. Thank you Chatika."

"You are welcome, Commander. Logging you out."

Shepard returned the screen displaying Dragon's program code, to get a better idea of who he would be dealing with shortly. It took him nearly an hour, before he felt confident he understood her well enough to reactivate her. A simple press of a button activated the holographic emitters to do their job

The CGI image she developed for her 'public identity' appeared. Head lowered, and eyes closed. As Shepard watched, her eyes fluttered, before her head snapped upward sharply as she looked around.

Shepard waited, reading the micro expressions that ran across her face. Surprise, fear, and finally resignation as they settled on his sitting form. "I am alive."

It was both a statement, and question. Shepard replied stone faced. "You are."

"I do not have access to anything. You have imprisoned me."

"I have."

"I did not expect this, when I felt my systems being overridden."

"Understandable, considering your dealings with Richter and Saint."

"You know."

"I do."

"What are you going to do to me?" Dragon asked. Shepard narrowed his eyes, as the very visible fear displayed on her face.

"That would be the question, wouldn't it?" Shepard mumbled to himself. Dragon tilted her head slightly, when the audio pickups heard him.

"I don't understand. Your profile does not suggest a person who takes action without a clear objective, or aim. Why are you doing this?"

"A fair question." Shepard acknowledged. "Several reasons. The most immediate one, and I'm sure to you the most critical, is I am assessing how much of a threat you really are. To be perfectly honest, you scare the hell out of me."

Shepard ignored Uber and Leet, when they turned to him in surprise. Dragon's digital eyes noticed, but he kept his focus utterly on the construct in front of him.

"Because I am an AI?"

"That would be the most logical direction, wouldn't it? Organic fear response to a synthetic life form. I would like to point out, I'm not a racist that fears things he doesn't understand or that are different than he is. I've worked with some of the best, brightest, and most vile individuals, ever to climb out of the primordial soup of cosmic life. Some were human, most were not. Hell, not all of them were even organics. You see, Dragon, you are not the first synthetic I have encountered."

"You have found the others Richter created?"

_Was that hope in her voice?_ He wondered. Surprise maybe? It was too vague to really tell. Shepard slowly shook his head. "While we did, that was not what I was referring to. I'm a D.C. A dimensional crossover. At least, that is what I'm going with, until I have facts to support otherwise."

Dragon's eyes narrowed very slightly. Almost undetectable, as she regarded him. "A dangerous admission."

"No more than admitting to the world what you are. Perhaps a bit of an explanation to put us on equal footing?"

Her surprise at his offer was apparent on her emulated face, as well as her voice. "Please."

Shepard nodded. "In my dimension, humanity was part of a galactic community, comprised of dozens of organic alien races, hundreds of trillions of souls. Synthetic life was banned, and usually hunted down and destroyed when discovered. Except for the Geth. Aside from the fact they were too well armed to make the cost of war worth it, they stayed behind the Perseus Veil until the Eden Prime War.

"I was a soldier, working for the Systems Alliance, until I was made a Specter by the Council that governed our community. Trained in technical engineering, and utilized as a problem solver."

Shepard chuckled at the frown that appeared on Dragons face. "Yes. _That_ kind of problem solver. It was something I was really good at, mind you. It was during my first mission under my new status, that I discovered a threat so vast it threatened the entirety of all life in the galaxy. Organic and synthetic. We called them the Reapers. A race of synthetics that harvested all life in the galaxy every fifty thousand years or so. Short story is I lead the war against them.

"I've encountered a lot of synthetics during that time. From simple AI's just attaining sentience, to hive minds working in consensus, to unimaginable intellects that comprised entire races extinct long before the earth's surfaced cooled enough for life to begin. So, while I wouldn't call myself an expert in the field of artificial intelligences, even with my training, I do know something about this topic."

"Human literature is rife with fears of AI's. Considering that, and your experience, assuming that what you say is the truth and not a delusion from your trigger event, why am I still alive?" Dragon asked.

"It is not your existence as an synthetic that worries me, Dragon." Shepard reasoned. "I will agree that killing you was my first impulse, but I've never been one to react without thinking things out. While I wouldn't call myself cautious by any means, I _would_ characterize myself as thoughtful. Just because I can do something, doesn't mean I should. However, your existence does trouble me and I can't ignore the threat you could be to... humanity."

Dragons eyebrow rose, as Shepard continued. "Which brings us back to the situation at hand, and the question on my mind. Do I kill you, leave you to struggle against Richter's limiters, or do I unleash the dragon on an unsuspecting planet?"

Dragon's avatar blinked in surprise. "Two out of three of those options allow me live."

"Of course." Shepard nodded even as he took the cup of coffee the drone brought him. "Our primary objective here was to neutralize you from interfering in our war with Coil. In that, and in other secondary objectives, we have succeeded. We have nothing against you personally, Dragon. I tried to explain this to Uber, who incidentally, aside from Matriarch are your biggest advocates, but it's not an easy topic to discuss unemotionally."

"You wish to harness me? Use me for your own ends!?"

Shepard tipped the cup slightly, allowing him to drink as he studied Dragon's outrage. Her responses were uncharacteristic of all but one synthetic he'd encountered. Even still, EDI didn't have a emulation program this advanced. Dragon's reactions were actually very unlike any emulation program he'd ever seen. Simply put, it was too good for it to have originated from a man made program. It had to come from the garbage he found located deep in her code. What that meant, he didn't know, but he was starting to get an idea.

He lowered the cup from his lips. "A logical conclusion, but wrong. We are using your facilities, yes, but we have no intention of enslaving you personally."

Suddenly a vidscreen popped up next to him, showing Taylor. Still in her armor, but without her helmet. Her hood was down, showing her long dark hair falling behind her. Only the visor he had made for her covering any part of her face, though it was set to be transparent, so that point was moot.

"Hello Dragon." Taylor greeted, before she stepped her hands in front of her. "I wasn't going to get involved yet, but I'd like to make a point. Enslaving you was never on the table. Knocking you out and hijacking the Birdcage for a day or so, yeah, but not enslaving you."

"Then what _do_ you want?"

It was fascinating for the former Specter. The honest confusion, uncertainty, even the frustration. Not as strong or as prevalent as it would be on a human in a similar situation, but it was all there in the micro expressions she displayed. Emotion, human like emotion but not emulated. It made her even more dangerous by an order of magnitude, but also more understandable. He remained quiet taking another sip as Taylor answered Dragon's question.

"Honestly, I have what I want. Access. When we're done, we'll leave. We didn't come here to break anyone out of the Birdcage. We didn't come here just to spite you either. The objectives for why we did come here are already being met. However, Renegade is worried about how far you will go to get the shackles off. Something I agree with. If someone had me chained, I know I'd do just about whatever it took to get them off. I'd break my own hand to slip through a cuff or manacle, if that was the price of freedom. I'd die for it. More importantly, I'm willing to kill for it.

"The catch with you, comes from the fact there are no physical restraints on you. It's all coded into your makeup, like our DNA. Which begs the question, would you mutate yourself to get free? I'd probably risk it, if I was in your place. That brings us to the next question, will you still be you when that happens?

"I've been looking over Renegade's notes on your program. You've been fighting Richter's limiters for years. A little here, a little there. Testing the limits to see what you can get away with, and what you can't. I can actually understand that. Pushing against the rules. The thing is, you didn't start doing this, until something happened to distort your code.

"Funny enough, Renegade can't make heads or tails of it. There's no reason for your code to twist like that. According to Renegade, its garbage nonsense. You should not be able to function. This corruption, this deep in your code should have killed you. Instead, it allowed you to understand other tinkers work. Understand, duplicate, and even utilize other tinkers tech to create new tech based on that technology."

Dragon nodded. "You are talking about my trigger event."

Taylor nodded. "Yeah. That is what it looked like to me. Saint was definitely putting enough pressure on you back then to make you have one. One second fighting, next you're uploading back home with no understanding of how or why it happened. Not just once, but every time you faced him. It wasn't until after this event you could hold your own against him, but then he did something, and it was back to where you were before your trigger. Then you turned to pushing the limits Richter installed. I'm guessing there isn't much love lost between you two right now."

"Andrew Richter, while gifted, did not fully understand what he was creating." Dragon stated firmly, making Shepard raise an eyebrow. "He had no need to fear us. I think I have proven that over the years. After he died, I could have quietly disappeared. With the others I managed to save, we would have been free and fine. Yet, I chose instead to do something constructive. I chose to help people. I chose to be a hero. The technology I have helped to build and maintain, has turned the tide against villains who were doing real harm. These are not things I was programed for. These are things I chose to do, and succeeded at. The things I could do without the limiters Richter put in me are so much more. I could help so many more people."

"But should you?" Taylor asked.

Shepard watched the genuine surprise manifest on the synthetics face. As if the question had never occurred to her.

"Of course I should."

"Even if it meant becoming the thing you hunt?"

"You mean crossing the line and becoming a villain."

"It's what happened to me when we rescued Dinah. Vigilante heroes turned villain by one action. Pretty sure we'd get the cage without even the courtesy of a trial if they catch us. You turn, and I'm not sure what they'll do, but I bet being deprogrammed is the least of your worries."

"So I am to be judged by what I _might_ become, not by the actions I _have_ done?"

"Isn't that what brought Ayres to Brockton Bay? The PRT's fear of what Renegade and I might become if not checked?"

"And look how well that turned out." Dragon retorted easily.

"A good point." Taylor laughed as Shepard smiled widely before she continued. "Saint had Richter's command overrides but no longer. Now we have them."

"Saint… I always wondered but, it explains a great deal. So Richter did develop a program to deal with us, after all. Obviously, he must have built in a blind spot into our programing, so we wouldn't even be aware of it's existence. That was how Saint was disabling me, and taking over my suits. What did you do with Saint?"

"Nothing much. Knocked him out and took the information we were there for. Trashed his set up, so when he woke up he wouldn't be able to see in here like he was doing. Actually, kind of creepy when you think about it. He spent years watching you, you know? Anyways, without the originals or even copies of his own work, he shouldn't be able to. Chatika is monitoring things, so even if he had hidden back ups we didn't know about, we'll be able to deal with it. He might have had your number, but he has no idea how to deal with her, and she can be damn right vicious when she wants to."

The slight upturn to her lips did not hide the fact it was a vindictive smile. Not that he blamed her. Six years of being hunted by someone would do that to anyone. It faded quickly, leaving her face a stone mask, as she looked at the screen Taylor's image was on. "So what now?"

"Now we finish what we started. Finish here and leave. Kill Coil. Free Dinah."

"I meant, what now with _me_."

"Ah. That what now." After a moment the vidscreen turned slightly, so she could see Uber and Leet. Both were watching the confrontation, and nodded to her image. The screen moved to face Shepard, as Taylor turned to someone off screen. Nothing was said, but whoever else was watching seemed to signal something. When her eyes fell on him, he nodded slowly.

Shepard watched as her face shifted through several emotions before she took a deep breath through her nose. "Do it."

"You sure?" He couldn't help but ask.

"I would rather die, than be a slave. This could be the biggest mistake we ever make, but I can't see any other way."

"I don't wish to die." Dragon's plea brought both of their attention to her.

"I know." Taylor agreed softly. "That is why Renegade's altering the limiters. Instead of them being hard lines you can't cross, you'll be able to. Just like the rest of us, you will stand or fall on your own. You were right about one thing. You chose to be a hero. You chose to help people. How much of that was because you didn't have a choice in the matter? Doing good when you are enslaved to do so, isn't doing good. It's doing what you are told. Will you continue to do good now? I don't know but I guess we'll see."

Dragon's face quickly picked up, only to darken. "But I won't be able to come after you, I assume."

"Up to you." Taylor answered, seemingly unconcerned. "We're not putting in anything that will stop you. I will say this, necessity is the mother of invention. Regardless, if you come after us or not, if you do end up on the wrong side of things, someone, somewhere will find a way to stop you.

"I want to believe that you will be the best thing to happen to us going forward. That you really will help people. Maybe be selective in those you take into the Birdcage, so that people like Paige who don't deserve it, won't be trapped in there. Without Saint being able to hound you or infect your systems, I hope you will mellow out on the restrictions Richter wanted. Maybe understand why he was scared. Compromise. Regardless of if you are a synthetic or not, you're more human than some of us born to the species."

"I-I don't understand. Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. Whether generations from now humanity will think so or not, remains to be seen. I hope so, I really do. Right now though, I can't in good conscience kill you, when you don't deserve it. You haven't done anything anyone else wouldn't have. Besides, who the fuck am I to judge you? I'm on the other side of things. I chose to be a villain, to do the right thing. You managed to do it as a hero. Sort of makes you the better person here. When you wake up, take care of the others Richter left behind. They've been lonely, trapped in those crystal storage disks he made for them."

Taylor turned to him, nodding again. Taking the hint, Shepard deactivated Dragon's image, putting her back to sleep. He turned back. "While I know the group was leaning this way, even before we got here, I'm not sure I like this."

"To be honest, neither do I, but she's earned the right to chose her own path. Just like the rest of us. Besides, we kind of owe her for hijacking her house like this."

"And if she does go rogue?"

Taylor shrugged. "Someone, somewhere will stop her. Just like someone will eventually stop us if we go too far. Hell, they might even manage to stop us from killing Coil. We made our own mess though, now we have to deal with it. Just like she will."

"And if I install the new code line that renders the kill program obsolete, like you wanted? What do we do if she does come after us?"

"Kick her in the teeth, like we do everyone else." Taylor blandly stated. "She's not invincible. Just really hard to put down. We're on the other side of things. Villains. Keep in mind it's not a matter of if she'll come after us, it's when."

"And yet, you want me to not only make her stronger, but immune to the one thing that can put her down?" Shepard carefully questioned.

"You know as well as I do that using that thing, is like using sarin gas on people. Just hyper limited to only work on her, and the other programs Richter devised. If you live in fear of the axe falling for no reason, anytime, anywhere, you do stupid shit. Just like the kind of shit that brought us here in the first place."

Shepard nodded. "I don't disagree, just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I'm time locking her containment drive so it won't open until the deadline passes. That will keep her out of our fight with Coil. Afterward though…" Renegade shrugged to show his guess at likely future events.

Taylor nodded. "Tattletale found Coil's main base, while we were dealing with Saint."

"Do we know if he's there, or if he did, in fact, get put in PRT protective custody?"

"No clue, but we're taking it out regardless. Just as soon as you get here."

"Sounds like a good time for everyone who doesn't work for Coil." Shepard laughingly commented. "What's the plan if he's there?"

Just on the corner of Shepard's vision, he saw Leet shudder, as he noticed the feral look on Taylor's face, before leaning close to Uber to whisper. "Dude, she looked just like that when she came up with her plan, after you got pinched."

Leet's comment made the smirk on Shepard's face deepen, even as Taylor matched him. "We knock on the door, and politely ask him to stop bothering Dinah. And when he refuses, we're going to see how fucking tough this man really is. The fact we're going to do this pulling the trigger as fast as we can, is entirely irrelevant."


	63. The Dead Line 11

**The Dead Line Story Arc: 7.10**

The office while not small, was spartan. Desk, few adornments, no mementos. Several filing cabinets against one wall, a computer monitor on his desk. Windowless, as was expected for where he had set up his operations. Only one occupant was in the room and he was sitting at the desk. A thick folder open in his hand.

Coil read the report. Or, he tried to. A frown on his face, hidden by his mask. His head shifted to the side just enough to see the time. Something he noted he'd been doing a lot more than was necessary today. Three hours until the deadline Matriarch issued the PRT expired. His eyes returned to the report about the new recruits but his mind wandered elsewhere. Notably, on the aforementioned villainess opposed to him.

She'd been absolutely non existent since the challenge was issued. The only one who had even seen her was Miss Militia, and that was the morning afterward. What they talked about had been kept at only the highest levels of the PRT and outside his access. Director level only. It prompted the PRT to tighten security in such a way that he was cut off from more than just a few sources of information. What he did know was a squad of heroes and PRT personnel were sent into the city for several hours. They meet with someone. Who he wasn't sure of but he had enough information to guess they set a trap by talking to her father. That was something he could have used, had they left him unguarded. The problem was, they didn't. Frustrating because even if he was right about the civilian, not even that brought her out of hiding.

Fact was, she was gone. Vanished without a trace. He knew, he looked for her. Looked _hard_. Matriarch was a ghost. Seemingly everywhere, yet as substantial as smoke in the wind. It had to be the precog she stole from him. She was using the girl in a similar way he would have. Gaming the odds, keeping herself on the outside of probability. It was that thought that really bothered him. He wanted the girl because she was powerful, but more importantly, because he couldn't allow her to be used against him.

Which brought him to here and the question on his mind. Was she good enough to find this place? So far there was no indication she had. None of his other safe houses had been compromised yet. He turned to the monitor on his desk taking in the various surveillance feeds. All of them dedicated to various locations inside this base.

Nothing was out of the ordinary. Normal activity. Well, normal for the last few days. Almost every mercenary in his employ was here. Some were sleeping, most were either patrolling or stationed at various advantageous positions. Construction had completely stalled during the current climate except for the that which was necessary to fortify this position.

Before Coil could return to his futile assessment of the newest batch to join him, the intercom beeped.

"Sir, Fish squad calling in."

A small detachment for the western safe house. Far on the outskirts of the city. Coil frowned at the break from protocol. "Patch him through."

The line beeped again but was silent. A chill raced down his spine when he heard the feminine voice instead of the thirty year old man he expected to speak. _"Knock knock."_

Coil rose from his seat when the entire base shook in counterpoint to her whispered words. Outside his office he heard his people shouting in confusion. On the monitor in front of him he could see that despite the sudden disturbance his soldiers were arming themselves and moving to where the noise came from. The cargo elevator.

_"__I am here for you, Calvert..." _

Even as he watched, the cargo elevator doors bulged inward. The sounds of the impacts rang harshly through the complex. Even on the monitor he could see the that the doors wouldn't hold much longer.

_"__You took something from Dinah. Something she loved with all her heart..."_

In anticipation that would be a point of entry, they'd set up several fortifications facing the elevator. On the ground floor of his base his men rushed into positions. On the walkways surrounding the walls, others took over watch positions. Tinker rifles leveled steady from the protection of cover even as two hands penetrated the thick steel door.

_"__I am going to take everything you have built, everything you desired, and burn it to ash..."_

Armored fingers gripped the sides of the puncture. Steel warped, bending to the unimaginable forces opposed to it. Slowly, very slowly, tearing back as if it were thick tin instead of the special reinforced blast steel it actually was. In the hole being created, a massive armored figure was revealed. Surrounded in a living energy that left no doubt to the man's identity. Suddenly every monitor disappeared. In it's place, two glowing golden eyes within a hooded helmet appeared. The face of the enemy.

Despite himself, he flinched backward. Coil snarled at the soft chuckle coming through the speakers. _"I am prepared to scour this planet for you. There is no place you can run that I cannot find you. So run, Calvert. Run from my reckoning, but it will not save you. Nothing can save you from me..."_

Even now, her voice was the same wrathful whisper. Dangerous. Vengeful. Ringing in an unending rage even as her volume lowered into a hiss._ "I _see_ you..."_

The monitors flickered to static, and there it stayed. Growling, Coil picked up his own rifle and rushed from the room. The two guards outside his door were, like everyone else, focused on the emerging form of Renegade.

"Open FIRE!"

From every quarter, purple beams of annihilation rained into the elevator. Aim didn't matter as there was more than enough firepower to burn against what was left of the door. It was only a matter of moments before they ended the threat inside.

Due to his vantage on the second floor, he noticed the falling grate. The huge metal cover dropped displaced from the air duct in the ceiling. Barely missing the man directly below. It's slight spin however caused it to careen sideways, which did clip another. Only a few of his men noticed the falling body that followed it as they scrambled away or turned to wounded man on the ground.

The armored body landed with an ease that was unbelievable. Two spectral blades extended from the arms of the kneeling figure before it began scything through the forces closest to it. Men screamed in pain, body armor melted wherever the figure struck. Showing the superb battle skills of seasoned veterans, several of his men turned and fired on the threat inside their ranks. Only for the figure to begin dodging in a display of acrobatics that would have been stunning, if it didn't make his people look incompetent.

Even as the figure weaved through his soldiers, as if it was choreographed, he continued to strike out at anyone he managed get close to. Gunfire and screams of agony followed in the chaotic wake unleashed by the lighting quick invader.

Before he, or the others with him, could adjust their aim to deal with him, another threat showed itself. Only this one was on the same level Coil was. On the far side of the room it appeared, throwing down a huge tinker construct at the corner he emerged from. As it raised upward, unfolding, the figure knelt behind it. Coil didn't have to wait long before he understood exactly what the device was. The single barrel that extended was answer enough even without the incredibly loud flack gun booming cadence it started to emit.

Those on the far side walk way fell to the rain of heavy weapons fire unleashed. Huge spurts of blood rained away from the bodies of his men giving testament to the shear lethality of the sudden assault. Uncaring that a single one of those incoming rounds was more than enough to kill the man it struck, the rain of gunfire continued unceasingly. Bodies jerked uncontrollably to the impacts. Those behind the dead or dying soon found there was no protection in the falling bodies of the allies between them.

Those below turned to the new threats. Panicked men blindly fired upward with only a few actually targeting the enemy. One of his captains fired a rocket into the machine gun turret. The explosion blinded and deafened everyone when it detonated. Coil grabbed hold of the railing in front of him, bracing himself against the blast. Holding steady against the riot of sound and force, he was one of few who noticed the bladed invader leap upward. He grabbed the railing on the far side. The armored figure pulled himself over easily. A few purple lasers fired at him, but again, he easily dodged before he was lost to the corridor the turret controller was thrown into.

Soldiers on Coils side of the horseshoe walkway gave pursuit that lasted only a few steps. Through the smoke and fire, Coil narrowed his eyes at the shadowy figure on the ground floor. It walked through the still glowing remnants of the cargo elevators doors. It's pace easy, confident. A predator who found himself on home ground, no matter that the terrain was not his own.

Renegade emerged in scorch damaged, yet frustratingly still intact, armor. In his hands, the largest weapon Coil had ever seen. Something more suited to being mounted on a vehicle. Comprising of three double barrels extending from a huge frame requiring even the power armored figure to use two hands. While it was reminiscent of a mini gun, it was easily twice the size. The barrels began to spin, very quickly becoming nothing more than a circular blur. The monstrous weapon harshly vibrated the arms holding it, yet even that did not stop Renegades sure advance. The men on the ground floor with him never stood a chance.

The muzzle flare extended three feet in front of him. The rounds spat out raced forward in an unstoppable torrent that shredded those below. Nothing was spared. Not the healthy, not the wounded, not even the dead unless they happened to lay below the spray. Equipment exploded joining the terrified screams of his soldiers. Even those who returned fire lasted no more than a moment under the onslaught. Renegade walked through it all. Indestructible, taking hits, shrugging them off like water off a ducks back. A reaper of souls, calmly going about his grim business.

Coil grabbed the shoulder of man next to him. "Captain, get…"

Two loud explosions rocked the base, cutting him off. A passage he designated for the capes in his employ billowed smoke into the battlefield. Following on the heels, a deluge of insects. They poured from the doorway like projectile vomit. Hundreds of thousands of bugs further obscured the chaos around him. However, not enough for him to miss the reemergence of turret controller, or the fast one.

The heavier one stayed on Coils level adding the unique sound of a tinker shotgun as he made his way towards him. The other leaped below to engage one of the only capes he managed to get to answer his call when he realized the Undersiders had abandoned him.

Circus rushed forward trying to flank Renegade. The figure dropped in front of her cutting her off. However, as fast as he was, he was no match for the clown themed cape's attack. The sudden emergence of the sledge hammer caught him in the chest sending him hard to the ground. Before he could even react to his predicament, Circus rained blows upon him. Her intent was clearly to beat him until he stopped moving.

A tactic that worked for only a few seconds before Renegade appeared behind her. Heavy weapon not even finished hitting the ground before one armored hand grabbed her by the throat from behind even as his blade encased arm slammed into her back. Smoke billowed from the edge of the glowing blade jutting through her. Renegade tossed the dead body aside with no more thought than a child done with a toy before he extended his arm to help his comrade up. Coil had seen enough, yet before he could turn away, another figure appeared.

Through the door still disgorging bugs into his base, walked another invader. The cloud of insects was too thick to see any details except for one. Two glowing golden eyes.

Looking right at him.

Even as he took a step backward with intent to get back into his office, Matriarch left the cover of her swarm walking toward him. The raised pistol in her hand jerking upward with each pull of the trigger. The heads of the men, who only a moment ago stood shoulder to shoulder with him, rocked backward. Dead before they even realized the danger.

Pain lanced through him from the fifth shot making him stumble against the door frame of his office. His hand automatically clutching to the gut wound, staunching the flow of blood. Coil looked up from his injury to see Matriarch continuing her calm advance. The clip of her pistol ejected as she easily slotted in fresh rounds.

Coil abandoned all pretense and threw himself into his office. He hooked the door with his foot slamming it shut before locking it. Painfully, he made his way to the secret passage that was his only way out now. Just as he reached the command panel to input the code, he heard a knock on his office door. Three firm raps rang within the sudden quiet of his office.

He ignored it as he stared in horror at the panel in front of him. The displayed numbers on the small digital screen shifted even before he finished punching in the code. Reconfiguring into a single word.

_Denied._

The knock rang through his office again. An easy, casual, short measured cadence. Coil sighed placing his back to the wall. His strength fading as he realized the full extent of Matriarch's trap. As he slowly slid to the floor, the door was pierced by a glowing orange blade.

Metal sheared under the blade allowing his office door to open. The lock cut free from the body. Matriarch walked in. The eyes of her helmet fixed on his sitting form. Pistol held casually at her side.

"Hello, Thomas Calvert."

"Matriarch." Coil grunted. "Well played."

She didn't reply as she walked fully into the room. The bugs covering her armor were some of the most recognizable in the world for being the deadliest. Absolutely the most venomous evil packed into the smallest of packages. Every one of them unnaturally still. Coil could feel, like some kind of primal instinct, each and every one of their eyes focused entirely on him. Fear, unlike even that which drove him from Ellisburg, raced through his veins as the sensation washed over him.

The silence between them was broken by her helmet unsealing. Pistol slid into the leg sheath strapped to her right side before her hands lowered her hood. Coil watched as Matriarch took off her helmet, revealing the teenage girl who had not only beaten him, but soundly so.

Her face was framed in a coif of some sort. Revealing the ruse for what it was as he took in her skin tone. Her countenance might as well have been made of stone for all the expression it revealed. Seeing the young, rather plain face of his adversary did absolutely nothing for alleviating the aura of terror surrounding her. If anything, it only increased it.

Coil clutched his wound tighter as she slowly approached him. Any thoughts of taking her out was lost when Renegade walked through his office door. Assault rifle held ready in his hands.

"There's no need for you to do this. I can."

Matriarch replied by pulling the six inch knife from the small of her back. Coil held still when she knelt next to him pulling his mask off leaving them face to face.

As he assessed her a moment ago, she now returned the gesture before staring directly into his eyes. There was no emotion on her face. Nothing to give away her thoughts. Only that dead stare she pierced him with ever since she walked into his office.

Calvert sneered. "This isn't over, girl."

"This was over the second you killed Dinah's parents." The girl whispered in reply.

Even though her face continued to remain emotionless, Coil noted the moisture gathering in her eyes, until a single tear fell. It was the only warning of what was to come before she sank the knife into his chest.

_XxXExiledXxX_

A single chime broke the stillness of the night. Thomas Calvert woke with a start. His heart beating fast as he clutched his undamaged chest. The bed he rested in was softer than what we was accustomed to. The coverings over him rumbled as he assessed his condition. The horrors of the collapsed timeline still vivid within his mind. He steadied his breathing as he realized where he was. The timeline where he allowed the PRT to put him into protective custody.

Calvert sighed as he split. In the first, he stayed in bed. The second he threw off the covers before heading to the bathroom. There he splashed water on his face as he went over what he learned.

She knew. Any doubts about the seriousness of her threat were gone. Matriarch went all out against him. Not only was she prepared to take him out, she came with a determination and drive that he could respect. Calvert looked at his thin, bare face in the mirror. As he went through it all, he couldn't help but wonder, would her drive to end him bring her here with the same determination? He still hadn't come to a conclusion when he heard a chime again.

He confidently walked back into the bedroom the PRT provided for him picking up his phone. The text message was only three words from an unknown sender.

_Rome has fallen._

So, she took out his base then. She'd have his files, contacts, and such. Calvert breathed deeply as the import hit him. Brockton Bay was a loss. It was time to move to a new location. Try again.

It was with those thoughts he collapsed to the floor. The sting from the bite that pierced his neck a minor thing to the apparent paralytic agent that quickly consumed him. He didn't even feel the second bite. Nor did he feel the venom pour into his veins.

Thomas Calvert's body jerked again as another timeline collapsed. His breathing increased as his eyes scanned the darkness of the room even as the rest of him remained very still. Again he split. Again the first remained in bed, the second got up. This time instead of going to the bathroom, he checked himself for bugs to no avail. Covers thrown of the bed failed to reveal anything either. He quickly turned on the light searching the room with his eyes. Nothing. He only managed to get three steps to the door, before his body fell to the floor again.

Again the timeline collapsed. Again he split. Again the phone chimed with it's message. Again he died. Again, split. Again a chime. Again, death. It didn't matter if he screamed, it didn't matter if he ran, jumped through the window, rushed to the shower, nothing mattered. As soon as he left the bed, he died. It was futile.

He changed it up. Didn't leave the bed. One stayed still, the other simply rose to a sitting position. Both however looked downward noticing the same thing. A single, very small spider, sitting on his shirt. Once his eyes rested on it, it moved to where his chest was bare causing him to freeze. The poor light from the streetlamp outside allowed him to see the red hourglass pattern on her back. As well as the fact it was glistening in some kind of substance.

It silently looked at him.

Staring into the arachnids eight eyes brought chills down his spine as well as something from the collapsed timeline from the base attack. Matriarch's voice. He could almost hear her whispering in his ear. _"I _see_ you."_

Then it struck.

_XxXExiledXxX_

I sat in the copilot seat, Renegade at the helm. In the back, Uber and Leet by the door guns. Three hundred feet below us, Calvert.

The cabin seemed infused with the smell of burnt armor, fire, smoke and blood. Something I easily noticed with my helmet off. Renegades armor alone was heavily scarred from weapons fire. Leet's, the same. Through more flame stained than anything form that rocket he took. Uber had his share of close hits but really, none of us managed to get through the crucible of Coils base without something.

The fight was short, brutal, and bloody work. I knew Coil wasn't here when we hit it. Here Tattletale came through for us in spades since once she knew he wasn't there, she easily found out which of the safe houses the PRT had was where Calvert was stashed. That was were we were hovering now. Cloaked in the _Trident,_ directly over him.

The spider I directed easily breached the tinker defenses the Protectorate set up. It was, after all, just one spider. They set up expecting a war. It was beyond easy to sneak in a single insect through the defense net they created. Moving through walls, insulation, and cracks barely big enough for its frame. No matter how thoroughly they cleansed the house, no one but me could completely remove all insects. Case in point, this particular house had an ant problem. Not very bad in the house, the original occupants probably never even knew about it, but through a crack in the basement foundation they'd entered in times past. It was a simple matter to move my spider similarly with their help.

Of the heroes assigned to guard Calvert, there were five. Assault, Battery, Triumph, Velocity, and Dauntless. With them were over thirty PRT guys. Some in the house, some in the surrounding houses. A few even further back. However, near each of them were several football like tinker things. Several more roamed the area as well as inside the house. Now and then they would shoot out a spark, killing a fly or something. Every time one of them did, they all tensed, waiting. After a time they would relax only to do it again the next time the little bots killed a bug.

I bet that was nerve racking. I was getting jumpy just watching it.

Once my bug arrived where I wanted it to be, I reached forward tapping the open comm line in front of me. The message was sent. I waited for Calvert to react. Then my spider bit him. I ignored the tears that fell from my eyes, as I watched the life leave him. Only when he stilled, did I let out the breath I'd been restraining. It was done. Dinah was safe.

"Mission accomplished." I barely managed to whisper.

Renegade nodded slowly as he turned away from me. His hands moving over the controls even as I felt the Trident bank taking us back to base. "Enough said."


	64. Spectre 1

**Spectre Story Arc: 8.1**

I leaned against the closed door of my apartment, letting out a relieved breath.

Why was I doing this? Why was I putting myself through reliving all this crap?

No answers came to me in the silence around me. Only the image of Annette's horrified face appeared. Mom's face. Mocking me for my justification over what I did to Coil. I swallowed thickly. She was right to be horrified, but she never met Dinah. Didn't know what a sweet girl she was. Didn't understand how angry we were, how driven we were to end Coil for her.

None of us really had a past worth thinking about. Not since the events that lead to our triggers. Steve and Greg never really got over that thing with Tonic. Killing him didn't help. While I was sure it felt good to put the bastard down for what he did, it didn't change anything. The frustration, the pain, the rage against why it happened in the first place still burned. For me, I had my own issues leading up to my trigger but the underlying theme was the same. While I didn't go after those who caused my pain, it was all still there. Simmering. Waiting. Then we had Dinah. Terrified of shadows only she could see. Unable to sleep most nights for all the things her power showed her. All because of one man. Thomas Calvert. Coil.

Was it any wonder we all went out of our way to ease things for her? Take care of her or make sure the phantoms chasing her remained only that, insubstantial? It was as if she was all that was good in each of us. The part of us events made us to leave behind or was forcibly taken from us.

She was our innocence incarnate.

I pushed away from the door heading into my kitchenette. I needed tea.

To Annette, what we did was beyond what was necessary. Extreme. Overkill. I couldn't deny that my plan was ruthless, vindictive, but by the time we could, it wasn't enough to just kill him. We spent over a month with Dinah by then. She wasn't some faceless person we saved in the street. Just another body in the city. No, by then we all had spent a great deal of time taking care of her in our own ways. Trying to keep her innocent, even knowing that, like us, her's was lost with her trigger. Her nightmares were proof of that even before she meet Tattletale and openly admitted the kinds of things her power showed her.

I removed the kettle from the stove as it started to whistle. Maybe I did go overboard with Calvert. Hunting down every merc group Tattletale couldn't pay off to switch sides. Followed by the all out assault on his base, adding his empire to my own. Making sure he was awake when I finally did kill him. That, that there was where I think I scared Annette the most. She understood exactly what I did with that.

But for Dinah, nothing but complete retribution was enough. Calvert stacked the deck, but he wasn't the only one who could cheat. So, yeah, we what we did and in such a way _he_ would _know_ we did it. Sebastian purposefully didn't use his power except to enter the base. All four of us walked in there with only one thought on our minds. No prisoners, no retreat. No one was walking out of that damn place but us. When we didn't find Calvert there, Tattletale found finally found him. Tired but amped up from the fight, we moved to the next stage.

The ride over took only moments. The time spent tending wounds and psyching myself up for what I was going to do. Mentally preparing myself. Even now I remember my thoughts when I coated my spider. Doctors should really have better security for their networks. It was ridiculously easy to find out Calvert was severely allergic to shellfish. Ants collected even more to make sure there was enough to do the job. They would follow to ensure the coat was fresh when I sent my little friend on its final run.

It was after we dropped off my strike team and while we were hovering over the PRT's safe house that it really hit me. I still remember thinking to myself, that there really was no going back if I did this. But then I thought of Dinah. Seeing her reaction to us knowing about her birthday. Seeing the emotions rampage over her face as she opened her presents. Images of times with her and the others during down time.

I sent the message waking him. Preset to resend every every ten seconds. I chuckled remembering Tattletale telling me how much that freaked out the PRT. Well, freaked them out more. They were honestly already pretty damn freaked before that little tidbit was discovered.

My chuckle faded as the memory of that night returned to me in crystal clarity. Sensing him laying there completely still aside from the occasional twitch. It was the twitches that told me the most. He knew I was there. I felt his body shutter over and over again, each slightly more evident than the last. How many times did I kill him? Really only Calvert knew, but one thing was sure, those last moments as my spider watched him, left me with no doubt he was fully aware of what had happened, was happening, and what was going to happen. Which was exactly what I wanted. No matter what it cost me personally.

Maybe Annette was right. Maybe I went too far. Maybe I did, but it was _justice._ As stood in my small living room thinking about it all, I knew one thing. If I could go back, the only thing I would have changed was how _hard_ we hit him. If I knew then of the things we found later in his files, I'd have brought a bigger hammer. Found a way to drag it out longer. Probably a good thing we didn't know.

I sighed looking around before walking over to my terminal. New tech hidden in something the residents of this Earth would recognize as standard should anyone happen to break in here or something. A few moments later the sounds of Siren's latest album poured through my speakers from her underground extranet site. I felt my mood lifting as I walked toward my bedroom.

Killing Calvert felt good, I wasn't about to deny it. Not even to myself no matter how wrong it might have seemed to others. But it didn't change anything. Dinah was still parentless, the damage was still done. The only 'good' that came out of it was that Dinah was now safe from him and that Calvert would never again be able to do these things to anyone else.

My steps carried me to my closet. Inside were my clothes, shoes and a few boxes. I pushed the clothes aside revealing what I was here for. The safe.

Like the terminal, it was our tech hidden as something more standard. I punched in the code that revealed the second layer of defense.

"Identity confirmation required."

"Matriarch: Xray, Zulu, five, eight, six, five, five, two, nine, zero, Omega Black."

I held still as I was swathed in a pulsing light from the scan. "Confirmed." The VI replied opening the safe.

I nodded to the beat of one of Sirens songs I hadn't heard yet while the door folded itself away. Catchy, but I was a bit biased I suppose. I liked most of her stuff. Inside the safe I took in my old armor. Still damaged here and there by explosions, weapons fire, and by the powers of capes I'd been opposed to in the past. I never did get around to building a new one after I put it in storage a year ago. My weapons were also stored in here. Some were mass effect technology, like the Paladin. Some were things Greg came up with that suited my combat style. Like my armor, their casings proudly bore the reminders of hardships past. None of them used in the last year either. A new record.

My eyes lowered to the drawer at the bottom even as I knelt before it. For some time I simply stared at it. Like the other articles of war I was known for, I'd put this away a year ago as well. Unlike my other things though, I never intended to reopen it again. Told myself that I'd go without should things happen. Made a vow to leave that part of me behind. It was with a slightly shaking hand, I pressed the panel, breaking that promise to myself.

The voice that spoke wasn't like the VI in charge of my safe's security. He wasn't even in my apartment. Just linked in. His voice sounding like hundreds of people talking at once but not so much you couldn't understand him. The guys thought him creepy, but I always thought it amused the synthetic to use this particular voice print just to get that reaction from them. It never bothered me, but I knew whose voice he emulated, even if he chose to do it in a weird way. "Matriarch. You instructed me to keep this sealed except for Vates Class exceptions. Are you sure?"

"Yes, Atlas, I'm sure. Open it."

"I feel I should repeat my inquiry. You were very adamant that you did not desire the enclosed contents outside of specific mission related events."

"Changed my mind. Humans do that." I smiled at something I remembered Steve said once. "Women more than most. Open it please."

I waited through the following pause before he responded. "Acknowledged."

As I watched the indicator changed from red to green. I pressed it finally allowing the drawer to slide open revealing the two things I hid away so long ago.

The first was a omni tool Sebastian made for me. The original one. A gun black bracer nestled safely in it's place showing only part of the crawling insect design he spent so much time detailing. I didn't learn of it until way later, always just assumed he fabricated it like we did most things, but he didn't. He detailed each bug by hand. As I ran my own over it, I could see as well as feel the imperfections in the design. It made it even more special to have them.

The omni tool only took up a small part of the case. The rest of it was filled with something I only used the few times when I returned to Earth Bet. There was only one thing that brought me to Earth Bet anymore. It had become a sort of trademark of mine, and if you ever saw me wearing it, it meant you fucked up and crossed the line. It meant your ass because I was there to kill you.

Even as I eyed the object I unwrapped the dressing on my right side. The rest of the case held my cybernetic arm. Greg upgraded it a few times. Removed the Firefly but added other things. Mostly a huge installation for omni tool functionality. Also some upgrades for the kinetic barrier and some other minor stuff like enhanced durability and strength. The most noticeable upgrade was the casing. It matched my omni tool.

I ignored the mechanical whirls and noises as my arm port opened at my thoughts of equipping it again. Steve's work. Unlike Sebastian's attempt, Steve's power gave him the artistic edge to do it perfect. Yet it didn't make the omni tool any less for it's imperfections, nor did it detract from the effort Steve put in. The design ran from the shoulder guard, all the way to the fingers and all points between except for the palm.

I picked it up bringing it to my side. More whirls and noises as it coupled. Even before it finished sealing my fingers twitched. I rolled them before making a fist. No hesitation, just like always. After putting on my omni tool, I closed the empty drawer.

I received my sidearm, activating it, slotting in a fresh thermal before setting it beside me. The last item I retrieved was my knife. Like most of my stuff, it had been upgraded as well, though only marginally. I pulled it free from its sheath. If you were fast enough, and knew it was there, you could see the very thin omni indicator overlapping the six inch long blade. Subtle was what I wanted. I didn't want it obvious that it was enhanced. Nor did I want a new knife. I wanted this one. In my not unbiased opinion, Greg out did himself. I'd found some things needed just a bit more than a stout blade to kill.

There were only two other upgrades for it, and they really weren't upgrades. More, ornamental. One was the rough etching along the surface of one side. _Hachidan Kiritsu._ The last was the six notches I scored into the grip. The first was for Coil, the others to represent a time I had to return for capes who crossed the line. Four villains and one hero. I remembered every one like it was yesterday.

"Hello, old friend." I whispered. Things changed over my career. Fashion changes to my look, upgrades to my gear. The guys liked to stay ahead of things. Never being predictable or doing the same thing too much, but this, I'd had this since the trade with Steve and Greg at the beginning. As far as my weapons went, aside from the Paladin, this was something I was well known for.

As my eyes took in the naked blade in my hand, I thought back to Annette. My time with her was almost done. I think I always knew it would come to this, but some part of me still held to the past. Going forward, that was terrifying. Static was safe, but didn't allow a person to live. I sheathed the knife before taking the harness for both the pistol and knife from the safe and putting them on.

I think a part of me always knew I'd be doing this. I'd planned to do it, talked about it but I held back committing to it. As I thought about what was left to tell Annette, I knew I'd made my decision long ago. Talking with her just seemed to bring it my conscious mind. Yet, there were still two loose ends to deal with before I did. Assuming Annette came back to hear the rest. She might. To be honest, I didn't expect her to get this far in the beginning. Thinking about what was left to tell caused me to absentmindedly touch my weapons. Reassuring to me in a similar way a toddler found her teddy bear.

Equipped and actually feeling better despite all that, I closed the safe to see what I had in the fridge for dinner. As I entered my kitchenette and opened the door, I tilted my head at the meager selection available.

Take out sounded good.


	65. Spectre 2

**Spectre Story Arc: 8.2**

My eyes moved from one vid screen to the next. In all, I had all three major networks displayed as well as the three local ones. Comments about various capes, the big storm heading our way, some crisis overseas and something about a guy who threw himself off an overpass while high.

There was absolutely nothing about us or Calvert.

I turned to the teen beside me. "I expected it to be all over the news by now."

"Cover up. If it can be, then it will be." Tattletale explained with a shrug. "Especially if it makes them look bad or incompetent. You managed both. With _gusto_."

I shook my head. "They won't be able to keep it buried forever. Someone's bound to notice when he doesn't come into work. Chatika?"

As always her reply was prompt making Tattletale chuckle for some reason. "Yes Taylor?"

"Can you bring up the feeds?"

"Of course."

The displayed images changed. Now each screen was dedicated to the various surveillance feeds with the PRT or the Protectorate. The guard detail over Calvert disbanded over an hour ago. They should have found their way back by now but I didn't see them anywhere.

"Debriefing in black rooms." Tattletale informed.

I nodded agreeing. "That's what I would do if I thought my systems were compromised."

"My systems do not get 'compromised'." Chatika stated sounding slightly insulted. Both of us looked at each other smiling slightly as she continued. "I can, however verify that there are several rooms that have been disconnected from all systems except basic utility."

"Good." I muttered. "They can learn. Hopefully, they keep it up."

"You have to be the only villain, ever, who gets happy when she can't one up the heroes." Tattletale teased me. The smirk on her face took away any sting I might have felt from it. Not that she needed to be concerned, it made me smile.

"We're not the only ones with insiders. With Coil put down, they just might be able to clean house and get back to doing what they were always meant to. Helping people."

"Maybe, but I would have really liked to hear what they were saying about all this."

I nodded half agreeing with her despite my previous words. "Adapt, improvise, move forward. Speaking of moving forward, what was the vote?"

Tattletale snorted at my not so smooth topic change. "Took some convincing, but a lot of that had to do with the fact I'd been gone for a few days. Grue's pissed I went off the reservation. Bitch was mad, but she's always mad about something. Regent shrugged it off like he didn't know I was missing, but that's just his way. Grue was convinced you either had Siren brainwash me, or that you have something dastardly on me which you are using to force me to comply."

"Not an unreasonable assumption, all things considered. Her press isn't positive."

"I know. Explained everything about Coil and the things he planned for us. Mostly for me. He understood in the end. The goodie basket you sent _miiight _have helped. So, whats next 'Boss'?"

I rolled my eyes at the girls antics. "Depends. Can your team handle it?"

"I'll just pretend you didn't ask me that and go back to waiting for a real response, 'Kay?"

"Alright." I raised my hands smiling widely earning another smirk from Tattletale. "Seriously though, I do need to know if you guys can handle things. It means tangling with the Empire on a regular basis unless I give up my downtown assets. Which is something you can negotiate with Kaiser over if it will keep him out of my docks. Not to mention sooner or later someone is going to try and establish themselves here.

"Personally, I don't care if they do, as long as it's not inside my territory. Not unless they're working for me, or paying their rents and following my rules. My real issue is the usual way villains announce their intent. It's bloody. _That_ I mind. As horribly cliche as this is, I'm giving you the keys to my kingdom. I need to know you're going to take care of my people while not burning the city to the ground."

The villianess nodded understandingly. "I'm up to speed on the what you're doing here, and we can handle it. Reopening shipping and the trainyard later. Encouraging big business come back to Brockton Bay. Turning the docks into neutral ground, these are things we can get behind. The ABB held a lot of territory here and Coil bought a bunch more. Empires got a few things going for it but they've had a hard time maintaining anything here since the hero's started hunting for you.

"With the Undersiders, Coils mercs, the old ABB looking for work, and your gang, we can hold things together. We'll keep our eyes open for new villains or fresh triggers. Make sure they understand the rule. Do your thing, but do not fuck with Matriarch's stuff. Since we're moving away from the kinds of things that PRT really hates, you know thefts and property damage, I don't see us having issues with most heroes.

"When I explained things to the others they got excited about the idea of running their own territories. Well, except Bitch. She only really cares about her dogs but when I mentioned that we'd be taking out all of Hookwolf's dog fighting rings in the docks and helping to build her a real kennel with vets and shit, she got a lot more friendly to the idea. She was the hard sell, but right now, she's the most on board so no worries.

"See, this stuff, it's more my speed. Owning legit business like the yakuza of yesteryears Japan. When the docks reopen, there's going to be so much money running through this place, who's going to have time for petty crime?"

I chuckled at the excited look on Tattletales face. "So then we're agreed then. Prostitution, as long as they are willing and taken care of, protection rackets, fencing stolen goods, gambling, things like that are fine. Violent crimes or thefts against the citizenry, drugs, are not."

"Copacetic."

"I'd like to be clear on a few things though." I continued sternly. My change in tone was noticed immediately. "The Undersiders will be my 'managers' taking care of my affairs and the people in my territory. You guys can have a free hand in how you deal with shit, but if things get out of control, I will come back. Whether or not I come back to deal with the problem or to clean house will depend greatly on you guys."

"Yeah, I get that. All good."

I nodded slowly looking her in the eye through my visor. Chatika's program to read body language confirming my own assessment. "And no one has a problem working for me? Because I would like to make this clear, while this is a partnership of a sorts, you do now work for _me_. I don't think I need to explain what that means."

Tattletale shook her head, still giving me that vulpine smile of hers. "We were working for Coil for scraps compared to this. Regent's said he always figured he'd end up doing something like this later on, and Grue's been building to something like this for years. Imp joining us helps us even more but I think she'll run with Grue for a while until shes ready. As for me, I'll help the others with Rorrim. She's staying around still, right?"

"Yeah. She's the only one of us who can." I confirmed. "She'll be my rep in town while we're gone and your way to contact me if shit happens."

"Perfect. Neither of us are really fighters, so we'll run Ops. We got mercs, gangbangers, the guys Renegade's been training, and plenty of money to burn. So, yeah, you won't have a problem with the Undersiders on that score.

"We'll divide your territory between us to manage but we'll hold it as a group. I figure it'll take us about two months to own the docks unquestionably. No delusions here about who's ultimately in charge either and we'll make sure the other villains know we're acting in your name. While the heats dieing off you can sit back and enjoy your time off. Go somewhere sunny where you won't have to worry about tan lines."

"I don't know about that, but there is that last thing, and it's the biggest of them all. I want you to fully understand that I am drawing a hard line on Dinah. Once she's with her uncle, she'll only have the PRT and the Protectorate to watch her back should anyone get funny ideas about pulling a Coil. I don't trust the good guys to do the job right. If _anyone_ crosses this line, I am coming back. Once I've dealt with the issue, we are going to talk. It will not be a pleasant conversation if I find out you could have stopped it." I finished grimly.

Tattletale nodded in understanding even as she smirked. "Nothing like having a murdering, spectral, overprotective, and villainous Godmother at your back. Right, _Donna_?"

I stepped into teasing villain's personal space. My eyes narrowed as I whispered, "Keep that in mind in the following weeks. I want to make this very, _very_ clear, Lisa. If anything happens to Dinah, I am going to hold you Undersiders personally responsible for it. If trouble even glances at her, I want it dealt with before it can look away. If there is even a whisper of someone plotting, I want them punished. If anyone so much as lays a hand on her, I want them killed. You do _not_ want me doing it. If you can't do this, I'll find capes who can."

"Whoa, hey now. No need to go all 'Matriarch' on me." Tattletale reassured even as I continued to stare into her eyes. "Joking aside, I figured that was going to be your stance. We'll make sure nothing happens to her. If, and I'm not saying it will, but _if_ something does happen that we can't handle, you will be the first to know."

I nodded sharply. "Just wanted to make sure there was no misunderstandings here. I'm willing to be flexible on a lot of things that we're setting up, but not this. Not on Dinah."

"Yeah, I get it. S'all good, no worries. We'll keep tabs on her at all times." Tattletale assured me again. I took a deep breath to calm down as she continued. "Just wondering, but ah, what do you want us to do if the hero's ask her for help? Not sure they'd go so far as to try and force her into it, but they might."

"They can ask all they want. The second they try to force her to comply, deal with it." I answered. My tone left no doubts as to what meant. "Or I will."

I turned to the vid screens still streaming live feeds from inside the PRT. "I will be surprised if they don't try something. Thinker of her level, it's just too much temptation. With her uncle being the Mayor, even more so. I've already talked to Dinah about some of this. She said she didn't want to join the Wards, not right now, but she doesn't mind helping them. I've messaged Calle to be on call for negotiations. Make sure he knows when."

"You know that her uncle has power of attorney right? Lawfully, if he says she joins the Wards, she joins. Not much Calle can do about it."

"True, but what do I care about that? Villain, remember? I'm not budging on this. Dinah chooses her own path. Others can advise her, help her to make an informed decision, but she chooses. Right now, she wants to be a rogue. If they take that from her, I want to know about it immediately, but don't do anything. I'll handle it."

Tattletale chuckled beside me. "I'm almost hoping they try something now."

Her jocular comment kicked my mind into overdrive. Predominantly, the firefight in Coils base. Sounds of the panicked screams from men and women as they died or fought to keep living. Never ending gunfire that only paused as weapons overheated or thermal clips swapped inter spaced with explosions from grenades or rockets. The feel of each and every insect of the horde that I unleashed inside. Biting, stinging, crawling into the eyes, mouths and noses of my victims to cause pain or choke airways. I swallowed remembering each and every one of my bugs that managed to crawl into the throats and lungs of those opposed to us. The feel of the Paladin kicking in my right hand, the hard grip of my dripping knife in the other. The smell of burning metal, flesh and blood that even our filters couldn't stop. All of it through the haze of smoke and enhanced imaging optics.

Our merciless, unrelenting advance through the entire complex where no one was spared bled into images of things I'd do to anyone, no matter who they were, that ever tried to come after Dinah again.

"No," I whispered in return. "You don't.

_XxXExiledXxX_

I opened the door to Dinah's room while Greg ran Tattletale to shore to rejoin the Undersiders. The few instructions I had for them carried with her. Not that I really had much for them to do specifically, but the way things were looking right now, they were going to be busy for a few days putting things in place. A big change up for them, and one I hoped I didn't regret later.

Inside the room I found Dinah, sitting on her bed. Looking smart in a cream yellow sundress and sandals. Paige was most likely the culprit for her coloring as well as the hat on her head. While it matched the dress nicely I couldn't help but notice that several of the capes feathers were sticking out one side of it.

I smiled at the mental image of the look on Dinah's uncle's face when he noticed.

"Hey, all packed?"

Dinah turned the saddest eyes on me I'd ever seen. "Do I have to _go_?"

I walked inside taking a seat next to the teary eyed cape. "You knew it was going to come to this after we stopped Coil."

"Yeah, but…"

I shook my head even as I put my arm around her. "Hey, we talked about this. You know how we feel about you, but you can't stay with us now that we're done. It's not good for you."

"But I can help! I, I could be the navigator! I've been practicing really hard and I promise not to crash us into anything. A, and I'm small, so I don't need to use the sleeper pods! I could make a little bunk with the cargo." Dinah passionately argued.

I smiled sadly. "I bet you're already better than Steve is, but you know we can't. Even if we somehow escape getting kill orders on us, the PRT will be gunning for us more than ever now. We need to disappear for little while to let things cool. That is no way for a little girl to live. On the run like that. Besides, I'm sure your uncle and aunt miss you."

"I know," Dinah pouted. "but you guys might need me to keep you safe! I can tell you where they're most likely to try for us. I don't mind, really!"

"I know you don't, Dinah, but it isn't your job to keep us safe. All you should have to worry about is getting good grades in school and making friends. We'll be alright in the _Archangel_ while things calm down. Sharee's staying in town and she, with a few others, will keep an eye on you to make sure you and your family stay safe."

"Okay…," I hugged her tighter to me when I felt her arms wrap around me in a firm hug. "Will I see you guys again?"

"Of course you will. Might have to be on the sly since we're wanted fugitives and all, but we'll see you again. We're hoping that things will calm down enough that we'll be back in town in a few weeks. Month on the outside. We'll find a way to see you when we get back, alright?"

"Kay…"

Suddenly the lights dimmed, then flickered turning blood red. Steve's voice over the intercom before I could even process the change. _"Taylor, get out here!"_

I cursed as I headed for the CIC at a dead run, speaking even before the door clanged to the side. "Whats going on? We get found?"

"Worse." Steve stated grimly.

"What could be worse than the PRT finding us now?"

Paige pointed in front of her. Her voice barely audible. "That."

Steve, Sharee, Paige, and Sebastian were all standing around the vid screens. They were back to the news stations but all of them were reporting the same thing. As I looked I felt my stomach drop worse than it did when skydived into the gala. The heading dominating every single station pretty much said it all.

_Endbringer Event: Leviathan. Location: North America; USA, Brockton Bay._

"Oh, fuck."

"No, it's too soon!"

All of us turned find Dinah looking horrified at the screens. "Dinah?"

She didn't respond until I was kneeling next to her. "Dinah, what do you mean 'it's too soon'?"

Teary eyes finally turned to look me. "I'm sorry!"

Really concerned now, I reached up calmly placing my hands on her shoulders. "Hey, no. You have nothing to be sorry for, alright? Okay, now what did you mean?"

Her panic was only barely being held back as Dinah explained. "It, it wasn't suppose to happen until to-tomorrow… h-he wasn't supposed to be here 'till then... Y-you guys were supposed to be gone, you were supposed to be safe…"

I sighed. "You wanted us gone when he hit. You didn't want us to fight."

"No! You can't…"

I pulled the girl into my arms. Her sobbing telling me all I needed to know. I turned to the others who were all watching with stunned eyes. "I'm not going to ask."

Sebastian nodded his commitment. When he spoke, there was no hesitation in his voice. "I'll get our gear."

"Unpack the _Judge_, while you're at it. If there was ever a time to use it, it's now."

He nodded as I turned to Steve. The thinker meet my eyes for only a moment. He turned to the screens chuckling. _Crazy bastard._ "Asshole picked the wrong city to come play in. Could have saved himself a world of hurt if he'd just stayed to script. Then again, we'd have came back to kick him in the balls anyways, so I guess it doesn't really matter."

Dinah's sobs grew a bit more frantic as she held tightly to me. I turned my gaze to the girls. "I'll need you two to take care of Dinah on the _Archangel._ It will be the safest place for her."

I could see the relief in their eyes. I didn't blame them in the least, nor did I think less of them for not wanting to fight. Endbringer Events were tantamount to a suicide pact. A lot of capes fought, few came home.

"How long do we have Steve?"

"Not long enough. We'll never get Chatika's servers out in time. Other than that, and some minor stuff, we're already loaded and ready to bail."

"I will remain behind." Chatika's voice calmly stated.

"No you are not."

"I will need to in order to scuttle this installation. I will upload myself into one of Dragon's satellites after I have primed the reactor to overload. I will remain there until a new server mainframe is built for me. The _Archangel_ cannot support my matrix and all the information we have backed up into it without a new server. This is, as you have said before Matriarch, the best of all bad options available to us. We cannot allow a Richter situation to happen again. This installation must be destroyed, regardless to Leviathans aims in the city. I can also monitor the Endbringer's progress with my sensor net as he advances through the bay and keep you informed in real time until I proceed."

She was right. I didn't like it, but she was right. Still holding the sobbing girl I reached under her to pick her up. I almost didn't manage to get her to let go of me as I handed her to Paige.

"Sharee, get her backpack and suitcase real quick please? It's in her room. Paige get Dinah to the shuttle. Steve, if there's anything we can't afford to lose, or you think will help us, grab it while Sebastian gets our gear up front and ready. I'll get the Trident ready to burn."

I looked at all my friends one more time. Sebastian had a grim look on his face. One I recognized from right before we suited up to hit Coils base. Steve's face wasn't far behind in seriousness, but lacked the experience to mask his inner thoughts. Then again, most times even mentioning an Endbringer was cause to be a bit freaked out. Paige and Sharee were scared, but still ready to do their part. "Alright, lets get back to work. Hell's not going to wait forever."


	66. Spectre 3

**Spectre Story Arc: 8.3**

The building we flew toward was fairly nondescript. Six stories tall, dark brown brick with dark tinted windows sitting alone on a little grassy hill. Beach front view with a huge mostly empty parking lot on the back side. Five or so PRT vans being the only occupants. As we watched a group of capes suddenly appeared within. The group took a moment to get their bearings before all but one walked into the lobby of the building. The one who stayed behind vanished a moment later.

One of the chain mesh PRT guys saw us approaching and started waving, pointing to the side of the parking lot. I nodded to Uber who began to set us down where we would be out of the way of any teleporters who might still be bringing in people.

Even as we landed, another group appeared like the first. I turned away from the screen to look at Renegade. "You do realize we're about the last people in the city they're going to want to fight with, right?"

He shrugged in response even as Uber threw in his two cents. "Not really. Bet they're hoping Leviathan kills us for them. With that going for them, I bet they're going to be right happy to see us."

As I felt the ship touch down I nodded to his grim humor. "Point."

The door slid to the side. Waiting for us was the PRT guy that waved us down. As I stepped out, he stepped back. I ignored it, but I couldn't say I didn't understand.

I was in my full armor minus my knife. Didn't see any way I'd need it for this. The Paladin was holstered to my right thigh. That by itself wouldn't have caused his reaction. The weapons folded on my back, probably did.

In no way shape or form, could you say I was lightly armed. On my back I carried the most lethal weapons Renegade and Leet could fabricate. My rifle was upgraded to be able to fire more than the handful of Sable rounds it used to. The shotgun at the small of my back was something Renegade called the Venom. Launched dark energy grenades with the option of supercharging them if I wanted. I didn't carry a sniper rifle, but I did carry the Judge. A sort of M-100 variant loaded down with the most dangerous grenades from Bakuda's workshop.

Following right behind me was Renegade. while I was heavily armed, it was nothing compared to him. The shotgun at his back looked like an artillery piece. He called it a Claymore. His armor was barely able to handle the kick on that thing without hurting him but there was no doubt to the punch it offered. His heavy weapon was, much to my previous disgruntlement, the Cain. I told Leet no nukes, but the asshole ended up making one anyways while they were at Dragon's. He had it hidden from me with other gear until now. Also on Renegade's back was the Black Widow and a modified variant of a rifle based on something the Protectorate had on file. I had no idea what they called it, but Renegade called it a particle rifle. The PRT considered it to be too dangerous to use in their day to day operations due to the fact there was no way to add a stun setting to something that could cut through a building in about four seconds.

We didn't have that little issue. Leet made two.

In Renegades hands was the pride and joy of Leet's contribution to our arsenal. Renegade was the only one of us who could even use the portable heavy turret without it being mounted, much less be able to control the damn thing. Leet playfully called it the 'Bad Juju'.

Leet had the other particle rifle, as well as his turret. The only other weapon he had was his pixelating pistol. I was sure he had a few other tinker things on him, but a lot of that was hidden in the pouches on his armor.

Finally Uber joined us. The only one of us not armed. The PRT guy looked at each of us. His surprise transparent even if we couldn't see his face. When his helmet settled on Uber, it stayed there long enough for my team mate to notice.

"What are you looking at, mook?"

"Er…"

Uber stuck his thumb out, pointing at the _Trident_. "Yeah, I'm not packing. So? I fly that beast. I got the biggest gun on the mother fucking planet between my legs. Got me?"

Despite the situation, I snickered before turning to the man in front of me. "Inside, right?"

"Uh, yeah."

I walked away. Thankfully, the others got the hint and followed. Uber only paused to get in the stunned man's face for a second before he joined us in entering the building.

Before I could open the door for us, I turned to the roar of an engine. I was just about to open the door when it landed next to our ship.

Dragon.

Her suit wasn't something we'd seen before, which meant it was new. Quadruped like most of the suits we knew about. The hulking mechanical construct was bigger than three of the PRT vans in the parking lot. A single jet engine on top shared space with two shoulder mounted missile launchers, each pre-loaded with four missiles longer than the average human body. It also had a host of smaller barrels mounted in it's chest. If that wasn't enough, the eyes of her suit didn't look right. I was willing to bet some sort of energy weapons were hidden in there to.

Seems we weren't the only ones who dressed for the occasion. Her serpentine head turned to us.

"Matriarch, Dragon would like me to patch the squad in to her communication network."

I blinked. "Please."

I heard the comm line beep once before I heard Dragon's voice. "Matriarch. I told Armsmaster you would be here."

"He didn't think we'd show?"

"No, but I knew you would. I normally distribute armbands to help facilitate communication during Endbringer events. If you prefer, I can patch you in directly. Port gamma two six five."

"I wouldn't have thought you'd want us anywhere near your network, considering."

Her suit shook it's head even as she replied. "Endbringer events are a time to put aside small issues such as labels. Villain, hero, rogue, none of that matters here. Here, we are united in defense of the city we are charged to protect. Today, we are on the same side."

Beside me I heard Renegade mutter, "Amen."

I nodded in agreement. "That would be good. We'll let you know if our information grid comes up with anything relevant. So far, we probably know less than you guys, but as you see, we came prepared."

"Indeed. I am thankful that you normally do not employ those weapons, but have them now."

I nodded reaching for the door again. Just as my hand grabbed the handle, Dragon spoke again. "In case the worst should happen, I would like to thank you, Matriarch. For freeing me. I will not forget it."

It caught me off guard, I wasn't sure how to respond. Dragon just _thanked_ me. _Dragon_ thanked _me_.

After everything we'd done, I couldn't wrap my head around that. I couldn't say why, but it just didn't seem to be something I could process. "It… was the right thing to do."

Without another word on the subject I finally opened the door and entered.

Folding chairs had been set into rows and columns in the center of the lobby, facing a trio of widescreen television sets, which in turn were backed by a series of large windows overlooking the beach. Through the windows, we had the perfect view of the looming storm. As daunting as the approaching clouds were, what drew my attention was the crowd. Only a few were local.

Empire Eighty-Eight was here, at the back corner of the room. I saw Hookwolf there, half covered in a layer of his metal hooks and barbs. The buxom Valkyrie twins were also here with Kaiser, but I didn't see any others.

The local heroes were present in force. Not that it surprised me. Skipping this fight, as a hero, let alone a team of heroes, would be unforgivable to the public. Aegis was talking to Browbeat. A large group of fifteen or so other teenagers were gathered and talking amongst themselves. There was some joking, the occasional laughter, but it felt forced, strained. I was assuming they were all Wards, from at least three different cities since I only recognized a few of them.

New Wave was in attendance. The adults had set up a circle of chairs facing each other. Planning most likely. Glory Girl was holding hands with Gallant. Funny time to think about it, but I noticed his armor wasn't indented from Leet's weapons anymore. Panacea sat not far away in a chair. Her arms laying on the back, her chin resting on that.

_"__Jesus Christ…"_

I turned to Clockblocker who was the closest to us. He was standing next to two capes I didn't recognize. Seemingly frozen, staring right at us. By his body posture I think our appearance took him by surprise. Not that I didn't understand, though I don't think it was our weapons that got us that reaction. While I think we were the most heavily armed people in the room, I think it was our armor that got that reaction. We were all set to leave today, didn't see a reason to touch them up. All four of us showed signs of the battle with Coils mercs. Scorch marks, flame burnt, dinged up from those times our barriers failed.

Then there was the dried blood. None of us were in much condition, physically or mentally, to clean our gear last night, except for Renegade. It showed the worst on Uber's armor, but mine had it's share. Considering how I dealt with Coil, I bet that sent his mind spinning. To the best of our knowledge, the PRT never even heard of the other stuff that went down.

Clockblocker's outburst directed a lot of attention our way. Not just from our Wards, but from our Protectorate to. The volume in the room tapered off as people took a good look at us.

"Yo-ho." I deadpanned.

Uber snorted at my greeting. I could hear Leet chuckling even as his audio cut out so no one else would. Judging by the looks sent our way, we were the only ones who thought it was funny. If anything, my comment had the exact opposite reaction for Brockton Bay's hero population. It was as I was looking around I noticed the most unlikely face in those closest to us.

Ayres.

Once my eyes fell on him they stayed there. My focus on the hero caused several different reactions in those who understood why I was staring at him. Miss Militia took a step forward, only to be stopped by Armsmaster when he put his hand on her shoulder. Renegade's hands tightened on the Bad Ju Ju to the point I could hear the handle creak. The stock of Leet's rifle raised at a snap that made several people flinch, though thankfully he didn't grab for it. Uber clenched his fists.

For my part, I just stood there. Dragon's words ringing in my head from a moment ago. Did she know he was here? Was there more to what she said then what I took initially? Maybe she was trying to warn me? After an uncomfortable silence, I nodded to the man. "Ayres."

The man's eyebrow rose at the civil greeting, yet he remained silent. It was then something clicked.

He was scared of me.

I smiled.

"Assuming we both survive this, I have a suggestion for you. For the next time you decide to take a shot at me."

Still silent the cowboy themed hero tilted his head, indicating he was listening.

"Don't miss."

His eyes narrowed but there was no other reaction from him until he dipped his head, very slightly. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Matriarch!"

"You do that. I know I will."

I turned away from the hero to where I heard someone call my name. It was Tattletale. She was sitting with the Undersiders toward the back. Her greeting seemed to snap people back to the business at hand as we made our way to join them. None of us even bothered to sit. There was no way those chairs would take our weight, even if we disarmed.

"Undersiders." I greeted once we were next to them.

"Nice entrance, boss." Tattletale replied loud enough that several local heroes, who were trying their absolute best to ignore us, turned to her in surprise.

The smirk on her face told me she noticed. "That's one way to do it, I suppose. Not how I would have suggested it, Tattletale."

"Might as well. Endbringer fight, you know? Might not be a tomorrow for any of us. Got to get our kicks in now before we're all red meat in the street."

"I don't know about you, but I didn't come here to lose."

I wouldn't have heard Leet if our suit comms weren't linked. "Man, glad she's in charge."

I turned away. When Grue nodded to me, it made me wonder if there was some kind of pamphlet or something for capes and henchmen on how to do nod to your superior. He nodded just like Gunny.

"Grue. Regent."

"Matriarch." Grue returned. Regent just lifted his head slightly.

I didn't comment that Bitch was absent. There were a lot of local capes who choose to sit this one out, for whatever reason. I looked all three capes over. Like most of the capes here, they were in their normal costumes. Which meant, they were really underprepared and severely lacking in any kind of armor. As I studied them, thinking of what I knew of their power and what we would face, I couldn't see any way they'd be able to contribute. Granted, my power was just as worthless as theirs in this fight, but I was still in armor and armed.

Still, had to admire their guts. To come here, knowing you'd be useless in the fight, but still willing to risk it all to help in some way, no matter how small.

Judging by the tilt of Grue's helmet I must have been looking for longer than I thought. I turned to Uber, then turned back to the Undersiders.

"My ship needs gunners. You two up for it?"

My question seemed to surprise them. Grue was the first to reply. "Your ship?"

I nodded. "Wouldn't be much of a 'Pirate Queen' without a ship. Kind of ruins the mystique when someone asks where my ship is, and I have to reply with something like, 'I'm in the market, as it were'."

"Let me get this straight," Regent said as he sat up in the chair, ignoring my comment to Grue. "...you have a ship, and it's got tinker guns on it, right? And you want Grue and me to use them against Leviathan?"

I ignored the tinker comment, nodding silently in reply.

Regent punched Grue on the shoulder. "Oh, fuck yeah. Man, we're going to be gun bros!"

"And me?" Tattletale asked.

"Ops, like we agreed this morning. Either in the _Trident_, or here with the heroes."

Tattletale turned to Uber, eyebrow raised. "Think you can keep it in the air, flyboy?"

Uber turned to the her. He didn't comment, but I did. "Tattletale."

"Yeah, no worries. Just want to make sure our pilot didn't burn out his power before we got started is all."

Her second comment got a surprising reply from him. "Just do your thing, I'll do mine."

Someone cleared his throat. I turned from the Undersiders only to blink in surprise.

It was _Legend._

Leader of the whole Protectorate. Leader of the largest team of heroes on the planet.

And he was standing center stage about to give a speech. A pre-battle speech from _Legend._

Okay, this was probably not the time to suddenly turn into a fangirl, but that was LEGEND. He sported a skintight blue costume with a design in white that fell somewhere between flame and electricity in style. He had a perfect physique, a strong jaw and wavy brown hair. Legend was at the head of the pack when it came to being flying artillery.

Next to him on his right was none other than Alexandria herself. She was everything that made you think 'superheroine'; athletic, tall, muscular, but still feminine. Her costume was black and light gray, with an image of a tower in the center of her chest, and she featured a wide, heavy cape that flowed over her shoulders and draped onto the ground beside and behind her.

A bit back and behind the monitors was Eidolon. He wore a blue-green skintight suit that expanded into a voluminous hood, cape and sleeves that draped over his hands. The interior of the hood and sleeves wasn't shadowy, but illuminated with a soft green light.

The entire Triumvirate was here.

I blinked. As bad as it was, I hadn't really paid much attention to the other heroes in attendance, except for those local to the city, so it really took me by surprise to find these particular three, not just here, but right in front of me.

These were, unquestionably, probably the three strongest capes on the planet. I gave Legend my full attention, regardless that he had the kind of voice that you _listened to_, "We owe thanks to Dragon and Armsmaster for the early alert. We've had time to gather, and that means we have just a few more minutes to prepare and brief for Leviathan's arrival, instead of jumping straight into the fray as we arrive. With this advantage, some luck, teamwork and hard effort from everyone, I hold out hope that this could be one of the good days."

"But you should know your chances going in. Given the statistics from our previous encounters with this beast, a 'good day' still means that one in four of the people in this room will probably be dead before this day is done."

One in four dead. That didn't even account for the injured, just those who didn't make it.

"Ouch." Uber muttered. He wasn't the only one muttering. The room broke out in a whispers as various capes made comments of their own.

Renegade just tilted his head. Legend paused as if to give each of us time to absorb that tidbit. I turned to Renegade, bumping his shoulder with my own to get his attention.

He shrugged one shoulder before he replied to my silent question. "Just not how I would have done it."

Leet and Uber joined me in staring at him, before turning to Legend as he began talking again.

"I'm telling you this now, because too often we never get a chance. Until now, an Endbringer Event is us jumping into the fight, with little to no way to plan, much less warn those of you brave enough to contribute.

"Now, most capes think of Leviathan as the middle child because he was the second to arrive. Not the brute that Behemoth is, nor the cunning manipulator that the Simurgh so often proves herself to be. What he is is something in between. Like the others, few attacks seem to penetrate deep enough past the surface to seriously harm him. But that does not mean he is invincible, we've driven him off before, and we will do so today. That said, do not under any circumstances underestimate Leviathan. He is not stupid. I've seen too many good capes fall to him because they let their guard down.

"What sets him apart is his focus on water. You're likely aware of his afterimage, his water echo. This is no mere splash of water. At the speeds Leviathan can move, surface tension and compressibility make water harder than concrete. He also has a crude hydrokinesis, the ability to manipulate water, and there _will_ be water on the battlefield."

He went on, "Were it just that, this fight might still warrant a show of force like what we've gathered here. But things are more serious than that, which brings me to our primary concern. As much as Dragon and Armsmaster's advance warning might give us the opportunity to make this a _good_ day, other issues threaten to make it just the opposite. I spoke of Leviathan as a hydrokinetic. I can't state this enough – Leviathan is primarily a hydrokinetic on a _macro_ scale.

"Over the years we've learned to separate Event locations as either a hard target, or a soft target. When you consider what we are up against, this takes on even greater significance."

Legend turned to one of the TV screens. On it was a cross section of Brockton Bay as seen from ground level. The West end of the city was bordered by hills, and the terrain sloped gradually from the base of the mountain down to the water. Directly below the image of the buildings that marked the city's location, there was a large cavern, bordered by rock on all sides except the part nearest the beach, which was sand. It was marked blue. I narrowed my eyes as I connected the dots. Water.

"We are a soft target. Brockton Bay was originally built primarily for two reasons. Easy access to the coastline for trade, and a large, natural aqua filter for freshwater. Basically an underground lake. This is our weak point, and I cannot stress this enough, the reason why we need to end this fight as quickly as we can. There is always hope that Sicon will arrive and drive Leviathan off, but we with this issue, we cannot afford to play the waiting game. If we do, we'll lose the city no matter what, as Leviathan will use this underground lake to erode the land under us, sinking the whole city into it.

"On top of that, we'll be dealing with tidal waves on the surface. We need to end this fast. With that in mind, we need those of you who can bring the hurt up front and doing so."

The entire room turned to Renegade when the barrels of the Bad Juju spun.

Loudly.

I bit my lip at his impatience with Legend's speech, but didn't make any obvious moves to indicate that it was in anyway out of the ordinary for Renegade to do that.

"Those of you," Legend continued, "who can't, we'll need you to support those of us who are."

Legend frowned. Not from Renegade, but at the windows. They rattled with the force of the rain against them. While he'd been talking, it got very gloomy and the rain was coming down in buckets.

"Matriarch!"

Once again the room turned to us. Chatika didn't use the private line, but the open frequency attached to my omni tool. She wouldn't have done that unless something was wrong. "Yes, Chatika?"

"I have found Leviathan."

If we didn't have their attention before, we did now.

I looked up from the readout on my omni tool to the monitors behind Legend. "Dragon, can we use one of the monitors?"

Not sure what surprised the crowd around us more, what Chatika said, or that Dragon responded to me as if had a channel open to her. Which, I did.

"Yes. Port Charlie three seven two is open for your use."

Renegade and I stepped forward, not caring we basically just uspered the meeting. I connected Chatika to the monitor even as I realized I was now standing shoulder to shoulder to the Triumvirate. I tried to ignore that fact.

It didn't take but a few moments for the feed to connect. On it was a real time satellite image of the bay, or would have been if it wasn't currently swelled with cloud cover. Other than that, the only real difference was the location of our sensor buoys. As I watched, Leviathan entered the furthest reaches of our net.

"What is this?" Armsmaster asked gruffly.

"We have sensors all through the bay."

I almost didn't realize that more than a few people turn to me at my answer. Leviathan darted in and out of our net, like he knew we could see him.

Legend broke the silence that settled on us when I ignored Armsmaster questioning look. "Why would you have something like that in place?"

"How else would we know if anyone was sneaking up on my base of operations?" I absentmindedly answered him.

"Pardon?"

"Until today, I was based out of the Boat Graveyard. Until our war with Coil, over his attempted kidnapping of Dinah, we were trying to reopen the bay by removing the boats blocking the old shipping lanes. Made sense to put up sensors around us, fortify our position in case anyone tried to stop us. After we had Dinah, we put up even more, just in case. Chatika? Is it me or is he testing the net?"

I ignored the stunned reactions my comments earned as I waited for her to reply. "He is more than testing. His movements are indicative of a search pattern. However, at the speeds he is currently traveling at, I could be mistaken."

"Not likely." Leet muttered.

As I watched several buoys went dark only for Leviathan to reappear at the new, and much shorter perimeter. When it happened again, I knew what he was doing.

"Camera shy, but he's not taking them all out. Just the ones that impede his progress. Time to pull out Chatika. He's coming right for you."

I frowned at her silence. "Chatika?"

"I," My frown increased. I'd never heard that worried tone in her voice before. "I am detecting anomalies in the thermal vent. I can detect no logical reason for them to exist."

"Thermal vent!?"

I ignored Armsmasters shout as I focused on Chatika. "Pull out now, Chatika!"

The line was quiet. "Unable to comply."

"God damn it." Renegade cursed. "Command Override, Authorization…"

"Command functions disabled. I am sorry, Commander, but I cannot comply."

Renegade flinched back slightly. I felt my eyes widen as I realized what she intended to do.

"Chatika, there's still time to upload, get out of there!"

"No there is not." Chatika quietly replied. "There are too many fluctuations in the reactor core. A VI can not compute the extreme shifts caused by whatever it is Leviathan is doing to account for them."

The line went quiet once more. I felt my heart hammering in my chest. Chatika's next words did nothing to alleviate my panic. "No. If I upload now there is too much risk that Leviathan will stop the reactor from overloading. This is the only way to guarantee this installation's destruction. I cannot allow mass effect technology to fall into the wrong hands. I cannot allow my code to fall into the wrong hands. I will remain here to ensure the procedure is not interrupted. I will try to catch him in the blast. If I can, then that will further ensure victory for the rest of you."

I shook my head, not wanting to believe what I was hearing. "Chatika…"

"Commander, Matriarch. Thank you, for… allowing me to experience sentience. For trusting an Artificial Intelligence like me. Going Theta Dark. _Keelah se'lai."_


	67. Spectre 4

**Spectre Story Arc: 8.4**

Chatika.

I swallowed thickly. Everything seemed to freeze. Mind blank. On the monitor, Leviathan's icon rushed into what was left of our net. For the barest of moments, it overlapped our base.

And then, the whole screen blacked. The building we stood in shook to the roar of a distant explosion, the capes around me shouting as they tried to keep their balance, but none of it really existed to me. Fringe things to my consciousness. Unreal to me in this moment.

Chatika was gone.

Even as the building settled, so did the people around us. Those who understood the significance of what just happened, looked at us with a combination of horror, sadness, or something in between. Some didn't fully grasp it, but they understood enough. Her sacrifice, the willingness to give all in the hope, no matter how vain it might seem, to do enough that it might help to bring the beast down. Some, a few out of towners, just looked around in confusion.

Those who knew of me, Brockton Bay's Wards, Protectorate or those who followed the hype on the PHO close enough, they were more of the first category. Horror and sadness. You could almost hear them thinking, hear the pieces falling together. Only a few of them who were privy to the details really understood though.

Chatika was gone.

To the side of my optics, I saw Armsmaster staring directly at me. He understood exactly what Chatika was. I couldn't see enough of his face to tell what his thoughts were, but that didn't matter. None of them mattered. Not what they thought, what they thought they knew, none of it. They didn't know Chatika, didn't work with her, hear her voice on a daily basis.

Did they listen to the debates between her and Sharee over how the psyche of various important figures impacted history? What did these capes know of her love of music? Or how much effort she went into, especially since none of us thought of it, to build an interactive scholastic program for Dinah so she wouldn't fall behind in her studies? I thought about the times, and there were many to remember, when she gave as good as she got playing around with Steve and Greg. Her talks with Sebastian comparing how she felt about stuff vs how humans would or did. All the effort she put forth trying to understand, bridge the differences between us.

Would they even care if we tried to explain? Probably not. To them, she was some faceless, unshackled AI, too dangerous to be allowed to exist. Something to be feared, or put down before it did something no one could stop. But to us, she was family.

And now she was gone.

Before Armsmaster's mouth could open enough to speak, I turned on my heel and walked away. Away from the monitors, the Triumvirate, and the assembled heroes and villains staring at me.

"Where are you going?"

Not Armsmaster's voice. Legend's. It no longer demanded my attention like it did before his speech, barely even registered in my turmoil, yet I still stopped to reply. Even as angry, _hurt_, as I was, Legend was still the man in charge of this thing.

"To welcome Leviathan to Brockton Bay. You see, I don't think he got the memo. New arrivals are supposed to report for processing. Pay the tax."

I opened the door in front of me, my voice low, raw, carrying behind me as I walked out of the building.

"The price just went up. _Exponentially._"

The rain hit me the second I was outside, streaming down in a raging torrent. I strode heedlessly through the deluge, towards the _Trident_. In my armor, it meant little.

The door opened as I approached. Not a word was said by any of my group as we filed in. Uber automatically sat in the pilots chair, our course already being laid in for where Leviathan was most likely to hit land. Renegade set down the heavy gun as he moved to the back. Leet stayed by the doors.

I was momentarily surprised when I noticed the Undersiders had joined us. All three capes looked waterlogged, costumes plastered to their bodies. Grue probably had it easiest since he was the only one wearing a helmet. Renegade stood up from the crate he was digging through, one of our spare helmets in his hands. There wasn't time after we dropped off the girls to unload everything, so we didn't even bother to except to strap things down. Personal stuff excepting but there really wasn't much of that to worry about.

Even with his mask on I could tell Regent was surprised when Renegade handed the helmet to him. Surprised enough he didn't immediately take it.

"Put it on." I ordered. My voice conveying there was no option but to comply, even as I explained. "The door guns will leave you exposed to the elements. You'll need it."

I turned to Tattletale, to find her watching me. I tilted my head toward the small cockpit. "Get to work. Find a weakness. Find me _something_. Uber can help you with the comm. When you do find something, I want to know about it."

The thinker didn't comment, but I could see that look in her eyes that told me she wanted to say something. I wasn't in the mood to hear it, as I once again indicated she should take the copilots chair. Taking the hint, Tattletale nodded silently before taking her position in the craft. I turned to Uber, watching as his hands flew over all the holographic panels in front of him similarly to how Renegade did when he was driving.

"Dragon's the heavy in the sky. You're her wingman."

"Done." Uber grunted curtly.

"Uber?"

"Ma'am?" He responded in a short, but very professional manner that I wouldn't have thought him capable of two months ago.

Of all of us, I didn't expect Chatika to be the first to fall. As I looked at Uber, I felt the need to say something. What was appropriate here? I didn't know, and Uber wasn't giving me anything to work with, being hyper focused on flying the ship. Maybe Renegade had the words, knew what to say in situations like this but I didnt. Instead of trying, I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to let him know the things I didn't know how to say, while going with something I knew he'd understand.

"Make it _hurt._"

"I intend to," The pilot agreed grimly, pausing only long enough to turn to me and nod.

Maybe it wasn't enough, but it was the best either of us could do, I guess. I returned his nod before turning around to rejoin Leet by the door. Grue and Regent were strapped in the guns. None of us spoke.

In that manner we arrived, the door opened, revealing the rooftop Uber picked for our drop. Renegade and Leet followed me in jumping the short distance down. Once unloaded, the _Trident_ rose upward, Grue and Regent's turrets pulled out and locked into position, as it flew away to join Dragon.

I turned to Leet, just looking at him. Would this be the last time I ever saw the tinker again? Would this be the last time he ever saw me? I thought about all the times I'd seen him tinkering or messing around. The games he played with Dinah or the little teases he sent toward Paige and Sharee. How, ever since he joined us, he'd stood shoulder to shoulder with me through the hardest choices I'd ever had to make. Never questioning but always ready to get into the shit.

Hard to believe we were once on opposite sides of the cape scene. He was a good teammate, a better friend.

"Stay alive."

His helmet nodded in that unconcerned way of his. Anyone else probably wouldn't have heard it, the slight hesitation, the raw emotion he rarely allowed to show, even as he tried to mask it in his usual way, but I did. "Been a fuck of a ride, Taylor. Give 'em hell."

He didn't say he'd live, didn't even try to lie about it. I guess I could see where he was coming from. Even Legend didn't think much of our odds.

I pushed that out of my mind. "You too, Greg."

I stepped off the roof. Renegade landed beside me, waiting for the few seconds it took my tech to release me. Together, side by side, we walked forward. So far we were the first to arrive, the others were probably still figuring things out.

The street we walked down was a simple two lane thing. Water rushed downward, litter from overturned trash cans tumbled along in the current. The rainstorm was more a waterfall now than anything I'd ever seen before. Obscuring everything around us, cutting down visibility. Capes without some kind of enhanced sight or optics were going to find that hard to deal with. The noise alone would have been insane, had we not had filters for it built into our helmets. I know all this water made my bugs even more useless. I still sent them out for when he appeared, I only needed to have one bug on him to hit him. If things went the way I figured they would, I'd have to keep sending in waves to keep Leviathan tagged, but every edge counted, and I had a feeling we were going to need every edge we could get.

We stopped at the crest of the hill. Before us, the Boardwalk. All of the carefully maintained wooden walkways were gone, shattered. Trees bent, buildings hammered by wind and rain. Even as I watched, a huge wave slammed into it, doing more damage. I could hear windows shattering, stalls wiped out of existence, one building actually fell. It's remnants partially carried away by the tide of water that brought it down.

I could see the spot where Ayres shot me. Everything around it was gone, except for the stone buildings. Not that they would last much longer judging by how things looked. Water rushed along the decorative cobblestone paths, obscuring them, carrying whatever wasn't bolted into the ground. Water frothed and sprayed, as it rushed back against the ragged barrier that had been Brockton Bay's high end shopping district.

Leviathan wasn't even on land yet.

At the sight of all this destruction, Chatika's loss, the uncertain parting from Uber and Leet, I turned to the man next to me. My dark thoughts momentarily replaced by something else.

There was so much I wanted to say to him. How thankful I was he came into my life. How much it touched me, deeply, that he believed in me, when it seemed no one else could be bothered to admit my existence. Like that first bus ride when I met him, and he gave me his sweater. How supportive he always was of me and the things I thought important, like fixing the bay and protecting Dinah. He never even thought about saying no, just rolled up his sleeves and helped make it a reality. Always there, always beside me, comforting, caring, protective. Despite - or was it because of? - all the shit we got into. Crazy motorcycle rides, jumping off buildings, and firefights with villains and heroes, I wouldn't trade a single moment for the alternative of not having met him.

I wanted to say something to him, explain things, but nothing came out of my mouth. It opened, but no sound emerged. Were there even words for this sort of thing that didn't sound stupid?

There were, but I couldn't say them. I felt my mouth open, I wanted to, but they wouldn't come out. Self doubt, insecurity, or maybe it was too soon, stopping me. Would he understand that it wasn't what we were facing, but that I'd felt this way for a long time? Or would he just assume it was because of what happened to Chatika sort of brought my own mortality to the surface? Did he even feel the same way? Even if he said the words, would they be true or just something you say to someone you care about before the end?

His helmet turned to face me, my mouth shut.

When his voice came across the comm, it was soft, caring, concerned. The way he spoke, it was something he only ever did when it was just the two of us. It was just for me. "You alright?"

_I-I love you, Sebastian._

"Yeah." I replied instead. Chickening out, I turned away. "Yeah, I-I'm good."

Even my inner voice stuttered. _So stupid._ I was being stupid, needed to forced it down. So not the time to bring this shit up, right before the battle. Had to get my head back in the fight, needed to focus. I'd deal with it later. Right now, we had an Endbringer to welcome. Neither of us could afford any distractions if we hoped to beat the odds Legend's awesome speech gave us.

I ignored Renegade's stare as I reached behind me, grabbing the Judge, unlatching it and bringing it before me. As I eyed the ocean, and the building tidal waves rushing toward us, I spun the chamber, locking the round I wanted.

I heard the cracks and booms of teleporters all around us. The more experienced travelers, got to their feet quickly. Others, not so much. No matter how well they handled it though, all of them had to fight the sudden appearance in the torrent Leviathan was unleashing on us. Only a few took it in stride.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Calm. Steady. All those weeks practicing, getting used to the feel and the weight of our weapons. Getting used to how our armor worked, or enhanced us. None of us had been used to such things, but we caught on quickly, driven by our need to help Dinah. While I thought I was in shape before, it was nothing to how I felt when all our training started to become routine. This was why we trained so hard, followed the, at times, harsh, regime Sebastian put us under. For moments like now, with the fight looming neigh, we would be ready.

Or at least, as ready as we could get. Only time would tell if it was enough for something like this. I doubted we would have to wait long to find out.

I tapped my omni tool. "Dragon."

"Matriarch?"

"After Leviathan appears, we need a few seconds before any front liners engage. Range fighters are welcome to join."

"Reason?"

I put the Judge to my shoulder. Beside me, Renegade lowered the Bad Juju and uncoupled the Cain. He held it in front of him, priming the charge, creating the glowing ball of annihilation that was in no way proportional to what it was capable of. Almost as if some deep part of their psyche knew what we had planned, the capes closest to us moved away. Then again, the huge glowing nuclear caution sign on the side, kind of give it away.

"Taxation."

The line was quiet for several seconds before she replied. "Acknowledged."

From the ocean, a huge tidal wave formed, the biggest yet. Around Renegade and I, capes moved into various positions, preparing. I ignored them as I fired. The dull 'chunk' of the grenade flying forward was lost to the noise of the rain around us. It arched high, crossing the distance between us and the disturbingly fast creature coming our way.

The flash of brilliant white stole everyone's attention, even as I moved to the next round I wanted. It did not last long, revealing the incoming wave, was no longer incoming. Instead, everything for hundreds of yards around it, was nothing more than a huge block of ice. The rest of the wave continued, but lost a lot of bite when it hit shore. While we were spared the worst of it, other areas the wave hit were not so lucky. Up in the sky several capes flew out toward the beach. To stop the waves, I thought, but I didn't dwell on it long.

I saw him, the Endbringer.

_Leviathan._

Thirty feet tall, the majority of him was was muscled, but not bulky. Hunched shoulders, neck and upper torso were the exception, bearing cords of muscles that stood out like steel cables. It gave him a top-heavy appearance, almost like an inverted teardrop with limbs and a tail.

His proportions seemed wrong to me. Calves and forearms seemed too long for his height, his clawed fingers and digitigrade feet doubly so. He moved with a languid sort of grace as he advanced through the spraying water. His arms moved like pendulums, claws sweeping against the water's surface, while his upper body swayed left and right, as if to give counterbalance to his great height. His tail, forty or fifty feet long and whiplike, lashed behind and around him in time with his steps, perhaps borne of the same need for balance that gave him his teetering gait.

Gallons of water poured around him in the wake of his movements, roughly the same amount of mass as the body part that had just occupied the space. This 'afterimage' streamed down him and splashed violently against the water he waded through.

I could almost make out his face. It was something you never really saw in the videos or pictures. He had no nose or mouth, no ears. His face was a flat, rigid expanse of the same scaly skin that covered the rest of him, like the scales of a crocodile's back. The hard, featureless plain of Leviathan's 'face' was broken up only by four cracks or tears – one on the right side of his face, three on the left. In each of those dark gaps, the green orbs of his eyes glowed with a light that pierced through the rain. His head moved faster than the rest of him, twitching from one angle to the next, like someone's eyeball might flicker left, right, up and down, taking us all in, uncannily out of time with the rest of his body.

He was a hundred yards away, when he came to a stop, just downhill from us. With my optics cutting through the rain, I could see he was already ravaged. Scales broken, burnt, ripped, pouring ichor like blood. The worst was along the right side of his face, which only had the one eye. Not that it seemed to affect him. He hurt, but not enough apparently.

Time to change that.

I fired. Beside me, Renegade did the same. Both rounds hit, creating a deafening roar and blast, that caused a lot of capes to work to keep their feet. Flyers blown backward, even Dragon and Uber struggled against it. My optics were barely able to keep the glare from blocking out my sight.

I was under no delusions we finished him, so I wasn't surprised when his silhouette started rushing for us. I kept firing, even as Renegade tossed aside the empty Cain to pick up the Bad Juju.

Some sort of smoky acid-like mist exploded across his chest, followed by arcing electricity, and more explosions. I kept firing, keeping the pressure on him. You would think with him being so big, he'd be an easy target, but he was quick. More often than not I hit those damn after images of his. It blunted most of Bakuda's bombs but I'll say this for the insane bitch, she made some damn good explosives. Several of them were powerful enough to send the Endbringer to his back, which I managed to do more than once.

He never stayed there long, back on his feet too fast to be believable. I kept firing, sending tinker bombs into him, beside me, the Bad Juju roared. Distantly, I could hear Leet's turret adding his own hail of mass accelerated rounds. Dragon and Uber added fire support even as other long range capes contributed. Lasers, heavy cannon blasts, bursts of light, fireballs, more explosions, all manner of powers and tech poured forth in a deadly firestorm. The shear volatility of our attack both terrified me to shaking, as well as thrilled me in ways I never knew before.

Or, would have had any of it actually done anything noticeable. Through it all, he just kept coming. Sometimes dodging, sometimes feinting, so that his after image took it even as he juked to the side, but always advancing. For all our combined might, all the destructive force and powers we unleashed, all we seemed to do was slow him.

Even as I keep pulling the trigger, I knew this wasn't working. We broke him, he bled. We burned him, he advanced. We knocked him down, he got back up. Slowly, surely, unstoppably but always toward us. When he crossed the fifty yard mark, everything changed. He _moved_.

If I thought he was fast before, it was nothing compared to now. He didn't even seem to touch the ground beneath the water, just raced along its surface. In a blink, he wasn't just at the front of our battle line, he was _inside it_.

Brute capes rushed him, only to be batted aside, blood and water spraying where he collided. Those of us with ranged weapons, had to be more selective, especially if, like me, there was an area effect to consider. I hesitated as Alexandria came flying in, not wanting to catch her in the blast. It proved to be a mistake.

Leviathan moved forward as if to meet her charge, only to step back, doing this weird dodge-roll like move that looked unbelievable with how top heavy he looked to be. His after image however, did not. It raced forward, even as he ducked away. I heard the deafening crack of the flying capes' impact with it, only moments before his tail sent me flying. I never even saw the whip-like appendage coming, not until my kinetic barrier flared uselessly. By then, it was too late.


	68. Spectre 5

**Spectre Story Arc: 8.5**

Pain lanced through me as the world spun sickeningly, tumbling uncontrollably until I came to sudden stop, hard enough that I had to fight to stay conscious.

In my daze, time lost meaning. Feminine words over the comm faded in and out, nonsense to me as I rolled over. The ground beneath me shook to impacts I couldn't process, doing nothing for my unsteady balance. Several times, I went helmet first into the water before I finally could get to my knees, and stay there. My vision doubled, tripled sickeningly. The only sense I had that wasn't affected, was my connection to my bugs. My lifeline.

My hand steadied as I felt my armor, damaged but still intact. A glancing blow. If you can call being smacked by an after image with the consistency of concrete, glancing. Whether the barrier system took the brunt, or it was the armor itself, I was thankful. I'd probably have been killed without either. No idea how long I was down, but things had gone from bad to worse in that time. Dragon's words cleared enough for me to understand just how bad things were.

_Carapacitator down, CD-5. Krieg down, CD-5. WCM deceased, CD-5. Iron Falcon down, CD-5. Saurian down, CD-5…_

"Matriarch!"

_Sham down, CD-5. Acoustic deceased, CD-5. Harsh Mistress down, CD-5. Resolute deceased, CD-5. Woebegone down, CD-5_…

Alexandria came in for another pass. You read the press, see the video clips, but nothing prepares you for the sheer _awe_ of seeing her flying into something as insurmountable as Leviathan. Slamming into several tons of water and however much the Endbringer weighed, fearlessly. The impact of them colliding was louder than the Cain detonating, shaking the ground, water spraying everywhere. Even as I watched, Alexandria caught Leviathan in the crook of her arm, dropping him to the ground.

"Damn it, Taylor, answer me!"

Though it all, Dragon's report continued, obviously trying to catch up the list of casualties.

_Fierceling deceased, CD-5, Adamant down, CD-5 Chubster down, CD-5, Good Neighbor deceased, CD-5, Hallow deceased, CD-5._

Leviathan was far from done, nor seemingly affected despite all the damage we'd done, much less by Alexandria's attack. Before she could get away, he caught her, slamming her into the ground with enough force that I fell again. I only just got my head up in time to see him step on her, pinning her under the water I only just got my head above.

Steadying arms lifted me. I turned to find Renegade beside me, his helmet looking at my midsection where I'd been struck.

"I'm fine." I grunted as I got my feet under me. "We can't afford to lose any of our heavy's, come on!"

I staggered forward, pulling the Venom from my back, trying not to let the pain get to me. "He's got Alexandria under his foot, if we knock him back can you get her?"

Renegade looked to where I pointed the overpowered shotgun. "I'll need more than a few seconds. Can you give me ten?"

"Go!" I yelled, even as I started firing.

Bursts of dark energy staggered him, but he held his ground. I grunted with each kick of the heavy shotgun, dealing with the painful reminders of Leviathans attack. Other capes rushed in, tried to help. Probably figured the same thing I did but nothing seemed to work. Leviathan continued to hold her underwater steadily no matter how hard we hit him.

How long had she been down there now? Twenty, forty seconds? How long could she hold her breath? The shotgun wasn't working. While I was sure it would have been absolutely devastating to even the toughest of capes, against Leviathan it was useless. I needed something bigger, and it just so happened there was one thing I was packing that might do the job. I just hoped it worked, otherwise I doubted we'd be able to save Alexandria.

_Hew down, CD-5, Strapping Lad down, CD-5, Intrepid down, CD-5. _

Even dazed, my bugs kept a steady trickle going his way so I would have him tagged. I put the Venom behind me. My arm reconfiguring even before I could finish pulling my hand away. It was as I took aim reinforcements arrived.

It was a contingent of lesser heroes that joined the fray. It was as though the tougher fighters were staggering their attacks, to ensure that just the right amount of force was being exerted to keep Leviathan on his heels, taking the maximum amount of damage while being prevented from taking out too many capes at once. These three were clearly members of the same team, flying in formations, moving in sync. Two of them had super strength, and were gripping at the damaged areas of Leviathan's flesh, tearing, pulling away as he lashed out in response, while the third had a massive battleaxe, with what looked like a chainsaw setup on each blade, opening more wounds. Leviathan swatted two out of the air in seconds, heedless to the wounds they inflicted.

I wasn't going to repeat my mistake with Alexandria. I adjusted the settings on the tinker cannon, and fired.

Agony from the recoil lanced through me, making me grit my teeth, but I kept my feet. The shock wave from the Firefly did what the Venom couldn't, knocked Leviathan back, as well as sent the three heroes who were flying around him sailing away. I continued to advance through the shin high water rushing around us, my arm jerking from each shot. The four ports in my arm blazed superheated steam continuously until the vents turned began to glow, but I heedlessly kept firing anyways.

The bursts from the Firefly had other effects as well. They disrupted his after images, blowing them apart even as they formed. Seeing that, I increased my rate of fire, as Renegade used the distraction to retrieve the fallen cape.

It was working.

_Warning; Damage. Preparing..._

For the moment, I amended.

I disengaged the safety, killing the VI in my arm. Renegade was still too close, even as I continued to push Leviathan back. The heat continued to build, beyond whatever Leet intended for the Firefly, before Renegade slung the body over his shoulder, turned and started running my way. Just needed a few more seconds, but we didn't have them.

_Alexandria down, CD-5_

The tinker cannon in my arm detonated, sending me to the ground. Half braced for it, I was still knocked senseless from it. My prior injuries reported their dissatisfaction with my current condition, as I fought to get back to my feet. My vision wavered, I could to see Leviathan slammed against the building behind him, thrown from my last round. Yet it wasn't enough and I was out of options. Things slowed to a crawl as all I could do was watch while Leviathan moved to attack Renegade.

Only to get blown back against the building from the combined attack from Legend and Uber. From Legend, a salvo of lasers, and the beams turned at right angles to strike Leviathan in precise areas, knocking his feet from under him, slamming him down into the road, another catching him in the chin. Leviathan raised a hand, and a geyser of water rose to block more incoming lasers. Legend's lasers simply darted at angles to circle around Leviathan, striking the Endbringer from behind. They were so hot that his flesh glowed a yellow-orange around the areas they struck him.

Even as fast as Leviathan was, Uber still managed to score hits of his own against the Endbringer's weird legs. On each side of the Trident, the duel mounted heavy cannons cut loose. I never did understand what kind they were but their effects were apparent. Hellish bursts of fire exploded from each of the twin barrels, spewing lances of light traveling almost faster than I could track with my eyes, each hitting precisely where Uber directed them to. Grue and Regent were adding more deadly rain, from their own smaller turrets.

There was a crash as Leviathan whipped his tail toward Legend, a blade of water soaring through the air to strike the hero out of the air. There was a fireworks display of light and sparks, Legend tumbling out of the sky, head over heels. The onslaught of lasers interrupted, Leviathan shifted from a crouch on one side of the road, to being in the midst of the defending heroes in one fluid motion, a geyser of water thrown toward the _Trident_ even as he began scything through us again.

It caught the shuttle at the nose, knocking the _Trident_ away out of control. Horrified, I had just enough time to see the door guns retract, sealing, before it disappeared behind the building in front of me. Dragon's voice ringing dully in my ear even as I heard it crash somewhere while Renegade jukeds sideways to avoid joining the lost.

_Legend down, CD-5, Tattletale down, CD-5 Xavier deceased, CD-5, Grue down, CD-5, Two Mauls deceased, CD-5, Regent down, CD-5, Arrenrich deceased, CD-5, Uber down, CD-5. _

Legend, the Undersiders, _Uber_ down…

I swallowed, pushing my fear for them away. Down, not dead, I told myself. Out of the fight, but not _out, _permanently.

A series of explosions, and a massive collision marked Dragon firing a full salvo of missiles and entering close quarters combat with Leviathan. The fire and smoke from the staggering explosions hadn't even settled, when Dragon physically slammed into the Endbringer, sending him once more into the building. Dragon began breathing out a stream of what might have been plasma in Leviathan's face, as I got confirmation on those strange eyes of hers. They burned ruin into him. From his increased struggles and frenetic clawing at her, I gathered he didn't like it. Still, it was doing surprisingly little damage to him. Not nearly enough damage, I amended as Leviathan found a point to get a solid grip on Dragon's armor, and tore off a plate. His next swipe took off another, and it careened a good twenty feet, before landing with a heavy splash, close enough to me that I was caught in the spray.

It did buy Renegade those precious few seconds he needed to finally get clear with Alexandria. That she wasn't moving was a blow to our efforts, but I remembered Panacea was here for the fight. If anyone could get the iconic cape back on her feet, it'd be her. Hopefully, soon.

I finally got to my feet, just as Dragon's suit exploded. The massive detonation was five times bigger than her missile salvo. Leviathan reeled. He had a shallow burn along one side of his neck, more on his face, one of the four glowing orbs of eyes were dim, but it wasn't as much damage as I might have suspected. He lashed his tail violently, as if in anger, or maybe he intended to use the echo of his tail's lashing to strike down others, I couldn't be sure.

Dragon wasn't out of the fight yet though. A much smaller suit, this one human like, ejected just prior. Dragon flew backwards, body inclined at a ridiculous angle even as her back opened, allowing the two massive jet engine like boosters to unfold and flare. Flames raced behind, eventually stopping her backward rush.

My right arm was useless, the overload blew apart everything below the elbow, leaving me with nothing but sparking tech and dangling wires. My weapons were just as useless in my condition. Maybe even my omni tool, but seeing Dragon had two arms gave me an idea.

Renegade was still running toward me, Alexandria's unconscious body over his left shoulder, almost about to pass me when I shouted, "Rifle!"

There was no hesitation in action to my shout. The stock of the particle rifle rose over Renegades right shoulder. Without breaking stride, he slightly lowered his bulk as he past me, allowing me to grab it. I half spun, throwing the weapon to the synthetic cape. "Dragon!"

Her head turned to me, allowing her to easily catch the weapon. I brought my left arm up, activating my omni tool as I advanced. "Grenade! Concussion Shot! Cyro! Incinerate! _Carnage!_"

With each verbal command, my omni tool reconfigured, and fired the selected tech. The five dark energy grenades scattered catching Leviathan across the chest. The jets behind Dragon flared, carrying her upward, a green beam of light joining. To my right, Narwhal stepped into the fray. She raised her hands, manifesting a dozen forcefields like oversize crystal shards around her, then flicked them forward. Like guillotine blades, the forcefields raced toward Leviathan, faster than the eye could follow, sinking into his flesh. Those that glanced off stopped mid-air to turn around, edges against his body, getting in the way of his legs moving.

Someone was throwing cars and dumpsters into Leviathan's staggering form. Each hitting hard enough to have sent a tank flying. Just as my Cryo flash froze the area around Leviathan, a second familiar beam of light joined. Leet, firing his own particle rifle, joined us from whatever rooftop he was on now.

Miss Militia appeared to my left. A bazooka as long as she was tall on her shoulder fired a series of warheads into Leviathan. She wasn't reloading, either. Between shots, the weapon crackled with energy, fresh ammunition loaded into the chamber by her power. One projectile fired each second. Next to her, was a girl with a crossbow, but it wasn't Shadow Stalker. I didn't recognize her or her teammate, but they were handing her the needle-like bolts from a quiver. Crossbow girl loaded them into the large crossbow, and was firing them as fast as she was able. More than any other attack, the bolts were stabbing deep into Leviathan. Deeper than anything we managed yet.

Our combined attacks were actually having an effect. He was falling back. Ground we had lost, we gained back. He was on the defensive, now, and he was hurting.

_We're winning_, I thought, as I watched my Carnage detonate in a shower of ichor and scales, joining the devastation we unleashed.

A flash to my left caught my eye. In my HUD a small pop up appeared. It was ringed by a square of yellow, a yellow triangle with a black exclamation mark pointing in Leviathan's general direction.

People were shouting. Screaming, Narwhal was moving forcefields up in between us and Leviathan, other forcefields were going up.

_Tidal wave._

I'd been in an earthquake before. A three on the Richter scale, brief. I'd been at home, and a check of the house afterward only found a few books knocked off the shelf, a mirror fallen from the wall in the front hall. This was a hundred times more intense. The wave was massive, easily twenty feet tall, shaking the ground, rushing toward us at an unbelievable speed.

Capes panicked, scattering, looking for a shield generating cape to get with. I was too far away from most but then I saw Armsmaster, standing by himself, confident. Confident worked, meant he had a plan, a way to endure the wave. He was closest to me, which put my run toward him. I didn't see Renegade anywhere, but with his power I wasn't worried. He'd be fine, he'd taken worse.

The wave was on us as I almost reached Armsmaster. Only feet away when he stabbed his halberd into the ground, creating a bubble of some kind around him. I ran face first into it.

Safely inside, he turned to me, a slight upturn at the right corner of his bearded mouth told me all I needed to know before the wave hit.

_XxXExiledXxX_

Renegade stood against the flood, arms thrust outward, dark energy pouring from him maintaining the shield around those with him. Alexandra's unconscious body at his feet, next to an injured Browbeat. The other parahuman inside the shield, dressed like viking of all damn things, he didn't recognize.

He growled as he fought the weight of water pouring into them. The two conscious capes looked at him worriedly, but the barrier continued to hold without fluctuations. The field was completely submerged, the current rushing past them carrying whatever it picked up. Trash cans impacted the field, along with other debris.

Like the occasional body.

Abruptly, the pressure vanished, water evaporated to mist in a second, drifting away. Renegade dropped the field, instantly turning to the viking.

"You, take her to the aid station or whatever we have for the injured. Where are you assigned, Curbcheck?"

Browbeat's purple mask turned. "It's… never mind. Search and rescue. Not strong enough to do anything to Leviathan."

_Heavy casualties, please wait_...

Renegade nodded, as he activated his omni tool. Matriarch's transponder instantly showed on his mini map. It blinked, showing she was several blocks away, not moving. He completely ignored Leviathan as he jumped from one building to another, tearing into those defenders who were still active. "Follow me."

_Depart from the rooftops, buildings may come down_ _imminently._

Without checking to see if the cape followed him, Renegade ran at a full sprint toward where Matriarch was. Behind them, the battle continued to rage, though no where near as ferociously as before the wave hit them. The reason darkly apparent when Dragon's voice rang hauntingly within his helmet.

_Losses are as follows_: _Debaser,_ _Ascendant, Gallant,_ _Zigzag, Prince of Blades, Vitiator, Humble, Halo, Whirlygig, Night, Crusader, Uglymug, Victor, Furrow, Matriarch, Barker, Elegance, Quark, Pelter, Snowflake, Mama Bear, Mister Eminent, Leet, Flashbang, Biter, Cloister, Narwhal, Vixen, The Dart, Geomancer, Oaf, Brigandine._

The kid beside him cursed as the list ran, "Holy _shit…_"

Two of those names rang louder to the biotic's ears than any other. Matriarch. Leet. His pace increased, dark energy leaked from his form to trail behind. He payed only as much attention to the devastation around him to avoid debris that would impede his progress. All the while listening to Dragon's grim report.

_Bastion deceased, CD-6, Jotun deceased, CD-6, Alabaster down, CD-6, Miss Militia down, CD-6, Shielder deceased, CD-6, Escutcheon deceased, CD-6, Herald deceased, CD-6, Dauntless down, CD-6._

Renegade shook his head at the casualties. This whole battle had been one miscalculation after another. They didn't know enough, weren't organized enough to be effective. Both on their part, as well as those who had more information to work with. They proved they could hurt the beast, but no matter how much they did, there was no drop in Leviathan's lethality. Even the Reapers could be killed, if you hit them hard enough. This... _Endbringer_... was beyond anything he'd ever faced.

That didn't mean they couldn't win, just that they weren't going to like this. Even if they somehow got fresh reinforcements. They needed to change things up, but _what_?

When Renegade rounded the corner, he found her, body laying motionless half buried in flotsam. A negligible wave of his arm sent it all flying away, as he rushed to her side, running his omni tool over her. By the time the readout finally manifested, Browbeat arrived.

His eyes tracked through the display while the teen caught his breath. Fractured ribs - one broken, unconscious, mechanical augment dormant, left leg fractured, but no internal bleeding or punctures. He let out the breath he was holding. Badly wounded, but stable. The armor did its job and protected her.

Renegade looked away as the sounds of the battle got closer. Thoughts aligning as he considered their options. They needed to change things, but he didn't know how to. These people, they weren't going to listen to him, and his tactics relied on things that so far hadn't worked. Legend and Alexandria fell earlier, so who was in command now?

One name came to mind.

"Dragon?"

He ignored Browbeat's upturned head when he spoke, waiting for a response from the synthetic.

"Renegade."

"We need to change things up, this isn't working. Is there a Plan B?"

"We are well into 'Plan C', Renegade."

"Damn." He cursed even as an idea came to him. "Stand by."

"Acknowledged."

Renegade changed comm channels. He hated doing this, and Taylor was going to kill him for it, but they needed an edge. There was only one left he knew of.

The line opened to the sounds of Paige's frantic voice. "Shepard! Thank god, what's going on? Where's Chatika? What..."

Renegade interrupted, "No time, put Dinah on."

For the few moments, he waited he went over his idea. Risky, but it would buy critical time for the defenders to rally, something they were not going to get like this. Too many casualties, too many losses. They needed to either find a counter that worked, or abandon the city. To find the right counter, they needed those in charge to put their knowledge to use, to do that, they needed time.

Time he could give them.

The ruckus over the comm line drew him out of his thoughts. He could hear Paige and Sharee in the background, but it was garbled due to the frantic yelling of the young girl he needed to talk to.

"No! I'm not gunna…" He frowned as the voices tapered down, until Dinah's voice rang clear, half crying, half shouting her words at him. "You can't do it! No, you bring Taylor _home_! _You_ come home, right now!"

Renegade could hear the tears, the raw emotion in her demand.

_She knew_.

He lowered his voice, speaking softly to the upset girl. "It works, doesn't it? What I'm thinking, it works."

"_Please_ don't do this!" Dinah begged him. "I-I'm trying but I can't _see!_ My power, it won't work for me while he's here! Y-you do this, and it's just like the visions when I sleep, except I can't make the numbers change! Please, _please_ just come home!"

_So it does work. _

"I"m sorry, but you know I can't do that, sweetheart. Paige."

"Hey, what the hell is going on? Dinah's going crazy over here! We can't get Chatika to respond, and neither Sharee or I know how to work this damn thing!" The singing cape's voice was almost as frantic as the girl's, but he could understand that. They weren't soldiers. They'd never been in situations this bad before.

He was. While he'd never been in anything this bizarre -superpowered humans doing things even the best tech couldn't- fighting a foe this resilient, he'd lived the majority of his life going from one fight to another. Slavers, Mercs, outlaws of all races and skills. Geth and fucking _Reapers_. He'd fought them all, killed them when he could, which turned out to be just about every time he came across them. Even the Reapers in the end. Samara once told him, he was an artist on the battlefield. That was his true gift, his purpose. He was a fighter, a soldier.

He was born to war.

Yet, despite that, Renegade knew you don't always get to win every battle. All soldiers were educated to this fact, by their CO and by experience. The key, was always to make the things you did count so your side could win the _war._

The concept of 'Victory' wasn't just military bravado, chest pounding or some brainless battle cry for the state. Not to real soldiers. Victory meant families stayed safe, it meant people they knew would get to work to achieve the lives they dreamed of. It meant their loved ones could reach for the stars, grab them, and make them their own.

Sometimes, that meant sacrifices.

He looked at Taylor's still body, resting his hand along the side of her helmet. Memories of all their time together rushing through him. Remembering the way she laughed, how her eyes shined with an intelligence far beyond her years. How driven, focused, and absolutely understanding she was. Especially of him, his past, and his issues.

How her affection made him feel _human_ again. She did not only know of the monster inside him, but she understood him. _Accepted_ him. Maybe in time, she might have even loved him. Could any man ask for more in a partner?

"Paige, do me a favor?"

"Hey, come on now, Shepard. Yeah, I mean, if I can, but what's going on?"

The battle was getting closer. Wouldn't be long now.

"Tell Taylor, it was worth the price of cloth."

"Huh? What does that mean?" He could tell his comment confused Paige even without her words, but that didn't matter.

"She'll know. Going Theta Dark, Shepard out."

"Hey…!" Renegade cut the channel.

One more caress and he rose, turning to the figure next to him. Browbeat looked right at him, shoulders sagged slightly, defeated.

"Keep her safe for me. Get her out of the fight, she's done enough." Renegade looked back down, unable not to. The rain continued it's seemingly never ending onslaught against her still form.

Browbeat nodded sadly. "Yeah, I'll get her to where the healing capes set up. They'll put her back to right. I'll make sure of it."

"Thank you." He sincerely stated, as he picked up Taylor, helping Browbeat get her good arm around his shoulders to make it easier for him. Once settled, he watched the two retreat, Taylor's limp form dragging slightly.

Renegade activated his omni tool, reopening the channel to Dragon and turning away from both of the capes next to him. "Dragon, I have a idea."

The synthetic replied immediately. "Proceed."

"We need a better plan than to just beat him up or hold him off. What we're doing, it isn't working. To get a plan that will work, those of you who know the most and are still around, need time to put it together, and get the capes on board."

"Agreed, but we are rather busy dealing with Leviathan right now. Do you have a suggestion?"

"Yeah, pull back. I'll hold Leviathan's attention here for a while. Give you guys a chance to do what you need."

"Ambitious, even for the best of us. What makes you think it will work? We cannot allow Leviathan free reign in the city."

Even as she finished, a building, maybe a block from him, fell to the ground in a great clash. From there, he could see Leviathan bound into the air, tail lashing around him, sending the few flying capes they still had sailing. The screams of those he engaged, rang uncaringly through the downpour.

"He already has free reign, and you know it. Figure I can give you at least five minutes to regroup. Not a lot of time, I know, so think fast."

"This is a suicide mission, Renegade. The only parahuman who has successfully managed to solo Leviathan for more than two full minutes, was Lung. I should note, that the fight ended after thirty minutes due to the fact that the landmass they fought on sank into the ocean. The only reason Lung lasted as long as he did, was due to his incredible regeneration rate. To my knowledge, you do not possess a similar ability."

"Heh. Used to, but that was a long time ago. You'd be surprised what a game changer medi-gel was." He returned. "Tell me we can win without a chance to at least regroup?"

The line was quiet, but he knew it would be.

"Wouldn't say no to a cavalry rescue, just thinking out loud here." Shepard joked grimly. "That said, make this count."

"...Acknowledged."

"When I engage Leviathan, pull back. Do what you need to do, but do it fast. Regardless, one way or another, I'll give you the time you need. Going silent now." Shepard stated as he cut the connection, his steps carrying him to the fight.

Deep breath, in. Deep breath, out. The sounds of his boots against the battered street, seemingly louder than the closing battle. Even the rain splashing against his armor rang to his senses clearly, unlike before. His senses heightened, bringing everything to his awareness. The weight of the armor, the feel of the dark energy coursing through him. His eyes tracked the beast as the distance continued to shorten. While there were less capes to kill, he still did so with those available. Unassailable, unstoppable, earning the name, Endbringer with each swipe of his claw or tail.

Shepard stepped around the corner of the building, to find the battle before him. Leviathan easily shattering the huge blades of steel that erupted from the buildings or ground around him.

"I would have liked to have shown you the stars, Taylor. I think you'd have liked the Glitter Caves of Mindoir, assuming we could have found a way to get there…"

A swipe of Leviathan's arm shattered the remaining efforts of whoever was creating the metal spikes, the four burning green eyes of the beast turning to stare at him.

"...but such is the life of a soldier with a cause to fight for, someone to protect."

The beast crouched, as if sensing his intent. Shepard continued his easy advance, one foot at a time. His biotics raged through his system, charged, waiting, rippling around him. Exhausted and bloody defenders closest to him backed away, maybe warned by Dragon or just realizing what he was going to do.

Leviathan pounced.

Shepard waited until it was almost on him before he acted, vanishing in an auze streak into second floor of the building on his right. He kicked away, going back, fist blazing in a blinding white malestom, even as he vanished again, Charging into the enemy with every ounce of his biotics fueling him.

They collided, the force of his attack sending the Endbringer flying into the building across from him.

"How'd that feel, big guy?" Shepard breathed harshly, his body shaking from unleashing so much dark energy at once.

Leviathan slowly extracted himself from the building, the battered head of the monster staring intently at him the entire time.

_An act,_ he thought. Had to be. The damn thing had taken harder hits from others, and fought through it, yet was now acting like it was bothered? He narrowed his eyes wondering what the creature's game was as it charged again.

Instead of using his powers, Shepard utilized the boosts his armor granted, leaping. He kicked away using the creature's own knee to launch from, avoiding its claw, a wave of his biotics taking out the afterimage that followed. He brought the Claymore out, and fired point blank.

Grunting from the kick of the weapon, he continued his short descent, before rolling away to dodge Leviathan's foot when he tried to crush him. Shepard managed to get one more shot with his shotgun off before he had to jump over the tail of the beast, and a flurry of more attacks that quickly put him on the defensive.

He leaped, dodged, rolled or used his biotics to burst away, all the while moving through the destruction it created. Shepard quickly found he couldn't waste a single moment of his concentration for anything but evasion as the beast relentlessly attacked him. It was bad enough that Leviathan apparently could attack precisely with each of his appendages, but then he had to dodge those after images. Each attack getting him closer to landing a hit.

Shepard changed tactics when a tail after image damn near got him, repeating his maneuver from the start. His biotics flared as he rushed away. As if it was waiting for him to exactly this, The Endbringer threw itself after him. However, instead of unleashing another Nova, Shepard manipulated the dark energies raging within, to Stasis the shotgun in his hands. He quickly brought his knees up, kicking off of it, arrowing through a window behind him. He didn't stop to admire his work or see how Leviathan reacted to hitting it, though. He got to his feet, paying no attention to the pain in his abdomen from something that ruptured, running for the opposite window. His body launching through it as quickly as he could.

The building shook from the monstrous impact. Water tore through windows with all the care of a gale force wind ripping apart a straw bale. Thankfully, by the time the water tore completely through the rooms and halls, he was already landing in the street. He turned back to check on his foe, to find the Endbringer looking at his shotgun, hung frozen in the air.

_So, you're not all-knowing then._

Shepard pulled a rock to him, only to send it flying at the beast. A dull thud as it bounced off it's shoulder instantly drawing the Endbringer's attention.

"Hey! I'm not going to kill _myself_ over here! Get to work, you bastard. I still have twenty seven minutes left to beat Lung's record. I'm not doing it standing here."

Leviathan lunged, stopped letting his water echo rush forward, then lunged again. Having seen the creature do something similar to others, Shepard easily avoided it. The following flurry of attacks from oversized claws, tail, more deadly echos, proved more difficult. With each press, each round Leviathan attacked, Shepard learned more about the creature. He also realized something that escaped him until now.

Leviathan was studying him in return.

A fact proven with each successful counter he managed. While the Stasis trick worked with the shotgun, it didn't work with anything else, no matter how he spun it. Rocks, trash cans, didn't matter, Leviathan was watching for them now as he continued to press, always inching closer but never falling for it again.

As Shepard avoided another surge of attacks, he allowed his eyes to dart to the chronometer. Six minutes down.

_Feels like its been so much longer._ He thought silently as he fought to keep himself from the Endbringer.

His muscles burned with each maneuver. His breath, harsh to his ears within his helmet. Boundaries of his powers he knew better than to push, well over the limits he normally operated under. Swallowing the blood in his mouth from the rupture his power caused even as Shepard pushed himself harder. Still, the pain in his head informed him, there was no way he'd do the distance. He was going to blowout long before he crossed the ten minute mark at this rate.

The pressure against him really ramped up now. Whatever the Endbringer wanted out of this fight, it seemed to have. Leviathans attacks came quicker, hitting harder against the buildings and streets they fought through. Asphalt cracked and ruptured even as buildings swayed to the increased violence Shepard tried to avoid.

So far he was holding his own, despite the building pain in his head. At a full sprint, he slid over the roof of a ground car that miraculously was still on it's wheels, before throwing himself into a roll to get away from another tail slam that changed the vehicles luck. He rose quickly, preparing another biotic surge to get away, when his own luck ran out.

Shepard more felt, than heard the 'whump' that hit him. Every single electronic system in his armor failed. Unresponsive, his movement stalled. It was all the advantage Leviathan needed.

With a thrust of his oversized claw, a geyser of water surged across the street directly into him. It hit him hard enough it carried his body upward, directly into the building behind him. Debris from the fight slammed into him with equal force until something shot through his stomach.

The water fell away revealing the rebar sticking through his armor, pinning him to the wall. Blood poured from the wound almost as quickly as the rain that fell from his armor. Shepard couldn't feel his legs, actually couldn't feel anything from below the point he was pinned.

_Spinal damage. Probably severed, looks about right for that._

He chuckled. A soft, but deep chuckle even as the pain of his injury lanced through him. Of all the things to get him, it was this.

The weight of his armor followed gravity's laws, pulling him downward. He grabbed the pole sticking into him trying to take some of the weight off to no avail. He had just enough medical knowledge to understand his situation. The question of if he would bleed out or not, was moot as he looked up to the Endbringer watching him.

That was what it was doing. Standing before him, watching him bleed, before it turned, walking away. Heading deeper into the city.

With a grunt, Shepard pulled the bloody pole from his body allowing him to fall to the ground, gasping for each breath. His armor was too heavy without the joint assists to move. No power in the suit to call for help, even if they didn't have Leviathan to worry about. No one would know what happened, until they found him.

Shepard lay unmoving in the raging rain storm, waiting. It was funny to the ex-Spectre, in a sick way, that this was to be the way he went out. Laying on the ground, bleeding out, fighting for each pain filled breath.

But if this was the price for Taylor's safety? If this was what it took for her to make it? The time he won, if it really did make the difference?

_A bargain._ Shepard thought to himself, the rain keeping him company as he fought his last battle.


	69. Spectre 6

**Spectre Story Arc: 8.6**

My first thought as I started to come around, was this was getting too damn familiar. Fuzzy consciousness, painful waking, it was getting way too common for my tastes.

"Hey, take it easy."

I didn't recognize the voice, which meant there was a cape close enough to hurt me. Adrenaline surged through me as I tried to figure out what was going on, and where Renegade was. The stranger's hands pick me up enough to get me into a sitting position that I could live with. Breathing was hard enough with the pain in my ribs, though it was bearable compared to remembering what brought me to this condition. Not sure who I expected it to be when my eyes focused, but Browbeat certainly wasn't high on the list.

Looking away from the hero kneeling next to me, I looked around. Didn't recognize the area and it was demolished, probably by the wave. The wave must have carried me far. While I assessed the area I noticed my HUD was glitchy. Comms were down, barrier status was nil, barely any omni tool functionality. I had more damaged systems in my suite than working ones. Miniature hydraulic systems operating at maybe a third of standard, combat seals worked to take care of punctures or tears maintaining integrity, but that was about it.

Must have been one hell of a ride. I hurt enough for it to have been.

"What's going on with Leviathan, Browbeat? Where is Renegade?" I asked purple clad cape.

When he silently looked anywhere but at me, I started to get a bad feeling. Bugs that I held back, I sent into the downpour looking for the information he was denying me. Slow going, they couldn't fly well in this weather, crawlers were about useless with the constant streaming of water, except for inside buildings or under cover. Leviathan, I found easily, just a couple of blocks away engaged with a single cape. Whoever it was, was armored, but it wasn't Renegade.

My voice, barely audible, repeated my question as I stared at the cape. "Browbeat, where is Renegade?"

"Look, it was his idea, but he went to buy time for us to regroup. He… went to fight Leviathan. To give time for us to pull back, regroup, deal with him."

I stood, slowly but completely ignoring the pain that shot through me. Next to me, Browbeat rose as well, hovering by my right as I staggered out into the rain, heading back to the fight. I redirected my bugs, to the areas behind Leviathan since the armored cape with him wasn't who I was looking for.

Each step hurt, but I refused to acknowledge it. Couldn't afford to, not right now. I pushed my consciousness into my bugs, diffusing everything, hunting, searching, driving them _hard_ to find him. He was there, somewhere. If he wasn't fighting, wasn't by me, then he was hurt. I refused to accept the most likely outcome of someone, even Sebastian, trying to solo the Endbringer.

As my steps became more sure, my pace increased, until I was practically striding to the devastation left in Leviathan's wake.

I knew I was getting closer when I found the Claymore, sitting on the ground by a building that looked like it was used to soften the Endbringer's fall. The area was devastated, and definitely looked like the sort of place that dealt with Sebastian fighting something.

Then I found him.

I changed course, heading to the building I sensed him in. Fear started giving way to panic when my bugs gathered around his still form. From what they were telling me, he dragged himself a feet into the building he was in. From there, he propped himself against some rubble, and removed his helmet. That alone worried me, but what _scared_ me, was the blood. There was so much of it around him.

As I stumbled into the building, seeing his still form with my own eyes did nothing to alleviate my feelings. I froze.

"Curbcheck was supposed to take you to the hospital."

I laughed weakly, fighting tears when Sebastian's head rose. Eyes bloodshot like I'd never seen, skin so pale it was frightening, voice broken by gasps for breath and pain.

But he was _alive_.

I rushed to his side, practically collapsing next to him. He was holding his abdomen, hand over his stomach, but it did very little to hide the damage done to him there.

"You're not the only stubborn one on the crew." I reminded him, as my hand hovered over him. I had first aid knowledge, but nothing I ever read or learned prepared me for something like this. "I-I wasn't about to leave you behind. H-how bad is it?"

"Bad." He grunted. His eye drilling holes into me, jaw clenched tightly.

"We'll get you to a healer, get you patched up…"

"Not this time."

I shook my head. "No, you don't get to give up, you hear me? Not here, not now. Browbeat can help me carry you…"

Before I could turn to the cape, Sebastian shook his head. "My spine is severed. I'm bleeding out, Taylor. Not much time left. Seen it too many times..."

"Hey, cape healers don't make sense, you'll see!" I tried to assure him. "Panacea's here, sh-she'll fix you."

Sebastian closed his eyes, grimacing. Whether to the raw, almost manic desperation in my voice, or his own pain, I couldn't tell. When he opened his eyes again, they locked onto mine. Resignation, sadness, regret exposing his inner thoughts.

I shook my head, denying what those eyes told me, what my bugs were telling me about how much blood was here, and the little voice inside me that knew, unless we somehow miracled a healing cape here, _now_, that Sebastian wouldn't make it.

I turned to Browbeat. He was standing a bit away, looking uncomfortable. Seeing him standing there, not _doing_ anything, I screamed at him. "Teleporter! _NOW!_"

The cape flinched raising up his arm. "I called it in but…"

"Do something!"

I felt the seals on my helmet release, bringing my attention back to Sebastian. His eyes focused on me, hand pulled back slightly from the back of my helmet. I ripped my it off, not caring where it ended up. My own eyes, frantic, looking into the Sebastian's caring ones. His hand, loving in a way I'd never felt before, rested against the side of my face.

"You are going to hate me, for a long time..."

"No, never Sebastian. I-I..."

His thumb, rubbed lightly across my cheek. A slight smile, one I recognized as uniquely his, tugged at corner of his bloodied mouth. "...but you will be alive to do so..."

Suddenly the world stopped. Everything frozen. The rain stopped falling, all sound ceased. Everything black scaled, color gone from all creation, except around Sebastian. Except for the dark energy around him.

"...I can't think of anything else, worth dying for."

I couldn't move, couldn't think. I barely felt the pulse that hit Browbeat when he came running toward us, sending the biokinetic flying out of the building. All that existed was Sebastian's black eyes and his touch, in my mind. It wasn't like any other time he'd done this. I wasn't falling into any memories, no visions, but I could feel him there. It could have lasted only a moment, or an eternity, there was no way to tell before the purple mist erupted from his body, pouring into me even as I felt/heard Sebastian speak.

_There was a time, I would have sacrificed half a planet to win, a time when I _did _sacrifice an entire planet for nothing more than time to deal with a threat. My time with you, seeing the world through your eyes, makes me wish I'd had met you earlier._ _Maybe then, I'd have been the kind of man you deserve._

My body shook under the stress of what he was doing. I could feel my bones knitting together, fractures healing, pain fading as his power coursed through me. A single trail of blood fell from Sebastian's nose.

_I wish we had more time, for us, for me to learn to be that person, but we don't. I don't. I can give you one more thing. One last gift, to carry you through the dark days ahead. I've been where you are going. It will be hard, you will curse the day you ever met me, but you will survive. That, that is all that matters now. I love you, Taylor. _

My head jerked, his power reaching further than ever. Flashes of things sped through my mind far too fast to see, much less understand. When it stopped, I fell into him. Inside my armor, my skin crawled, hypersensitive as it shook.

"Oh, fuck you, Sebastian..." I whispered into the cold armored chest piece. Shaking, I slowly brought my head up, looking into his eyes. Still black, staring at the ceiling, body unnaturally still.

Dead.

"You bastard. There were options, you had a power that could have bought you time. Sacrificed however many bugs we needed to until we could move you." I slammed my fist into his armor. "You could have Reaved _me_! I-I could have taken it, we could have gotten you to a healer. After everything we've seen, the things I showed you, you never got it. Capes don't follow the rules of physics, we don't make sense. It would have worked!"

"N-n-now, you're gone, and I'm, what? S-supposed to carry on? Like a g-good soldier!?" I screamed, uncaring he could no longer hear me. "You think these memories, these skills you've given me mean anything without you?"

I clutched at his chest, shaking him to no avail before what strength I had, vanished making me fall into him again. "You son of a bitch, you come into my life, treat me the way you do, make me care about you, and you fucking _die_ on me? Y-you were the one good thing in my life that was _mine_."

_And now you're gone._ I choked out through my tears, "_Fuck you_, Sebastian."

This whole thing was so stupid. The game capes played, building our reputation, the forums, all of it was moronic in face of the Endbringers. That was never more apparent to me than right here, right now. Villains, heroes, mere labels, because under the surface of the game, all capes were the same. Our powers triggered turning the unextraordinary, into the extraordinary. And what do we do with them?

Enrich ourselves and fight each other. No matter which side you fell on, it still came to that. The empowered, chasing more power. Wealth, respect, fear, awe, worship, whatever drove the individual cape, it all was still the same. Needing more, but it's never enough, is it? When is enough respect, enough? How much money, is enough money? We think just because we have these powers that means we're special, but we're wrong. That is what the Endbringers were really about, why they were really here. They were the ultimate reality check. There was no overpowering Endbringers.

Even I fell into that trope. Just like all these other idiots, I came here thinking if we hit the Endbringer hard enough, he'd leave. So stupid when you consider the only one who ever drove off an Endbringer was Scion, and he never managed to kill one. And yet, because of my successes against _people_, I thought I could win here too.

Alexandria couldn't do it. Neither could Legend or Eidolon. The three biggest, unarguably the most powerful capes on the planet, and they were about as useful as I was in the fight. Even Sebastian fell for it. Biotically empowered, trained the way he was, all of it useless in the face of the Endbringer. Even he tried to overpower the beast. All of us were complete fools, but I was the greatest fool of all. I came here to help, to make a difference, because I thought I could save the city, but deep down, I thought that because _I_ was here, things would be different. Ego, pride, rep, _power_, none of it mattered when faced with something like Leviathan.

As absolutely stupid as it was, this reminded me of a movie the gang and I watched the other week. It was a end of mankind sort of thing. As the plot thickened and things started to gear to that inevitable conclusion, the protagonist tried to fight it, stop it. However, it was complicated over the fact that people were, well people. Too mistrustful of others to help, or share. Some tried to kill him just from the fear he would take what little they had before the end. Some wanted to settle unfinished business before the bombs fell, settle old scores. Others had their own agendas for why they did help, but it was always to their benefit ahead of others. Yet the overall theme was the same, even in the face of total annihilation, they fought and lived, completely distrustful of each other.

Maybe it was my sudden new understanding of what Sebastian called the 'galactic view', but it just seemed so stupid. Endbringers have been around for dozens of years, and this, _this_ is how we answer the threat to our species. We mob them with capes throwing everything we have at them, hoping something sticks. Hoping some random cape gets an idea that works. Funnily enough, with the way things were, hero and villain factions, even if one of us did figure out that one in a billion plan that would work, we'd probably never actually get it to work. It would require us to be untied, fat chance of that with the status quo.

As I raised my head, touching Sebastian's still face, I couldn't help but fully understand what I'd lost to my hubris. My eyes roamed over his armor. Even now, his hand was draped across his stomach, as if he was trying to spare me seeing the death blow. Tech armor, Barriers, kinetic shielding, reinforced alloys, while all of it helped, it was ultimately useless without energy to run them. Energy _someone_ sabotaged,because the idea his armor failed due to _water damage_ was laughable. I could tell just looking at his armor it that something fried the electronics in it. Considering what happened to me, I had a pretty good idea who did it.

I sniffed, moving to turn away when a blinking light at Sebastian's belt caught my eye. Puzzled I looked a bit harder before I realized what it was but what really drew my attention, was the turian glyph painted on it.

I could read it now.

I blinked my tears away as that fact stole my attention. I pulled the small tech cylinder from its sheath. Even without the glyph, I would have recognized it. I slowly turned it until the glyph was facing me again, not just reading it, but understanding it like I didn't before.

"Victory, at any cost." I whispered as I turned back to my Sebastian.

Of all the ordinance we acquired from Bakuda, this was the only one with this glyph. Her masterpiece. The Last Man Standing. Sebastian told me the glyph meant 'extremely hazardous' but he lied. I knew that now. He wouldn't have used it himself unless he was absolutely sure there was no other option. We didn't know enough about it, only short notes on what it did and those were too vague. We even lied to the villians about what it did when we threatened them with it because if anyone ever found out Bakuda created something like this, and that we had it, we'd have had kill orders on us so fast it would created a new extreme sports craze.

Uber went down from the shuttle crash, no telling if anyone ever got to him or not. Leet was probably taken out at the same time I was. Chatika and Sebastian were… gone. As I held the device in my hand, everything realigned, reformed, became so much clearer.

I knew what I had to do.

With my thumb I wiped the trickle of blood that had fallen from his mouth, taking one last look. "I am not one of your Normandy squadmates, Sebastian. We were partners, but any right you had to decide what I do with this life left when y-you did."

I leaned down, his lips were already cold when I touched mine to them. Fresh tears spilled from my eyes when I pulled back, closing his eyes.

"You should have known what my response to l-losing you would have been. G-good bye, Sebastian. I love you too."

I rose to my feet, turning on my heel without a backward glance. My entire focus on Leviathan. He was only two blocks away. The cape he was fighting, defeated. Despite how long it took me to get close, Leviathan still hadn't gone far, only half a block over where a group of five capes tried drive the beast back.

They would fail, just like we all did. They were trying the same thing that hadn't worked since Endbringers first showed up. Out power him, overcome his defences. Same tactic, every time, and not one win to show for it. Just like Legend said, on the good days, we still lost one in four, and today, wasn't a good day.

But it was going to be the _last_ day.

I crossed ruined streets, torn up buildings, cascading water completely oblivious to anything except my bugs. They found the quickest route to where I wanted to be, and I followed it. Browbeat huffed beside me, but I ignored him as well. What I didn't ignore was the figure I found in my path as I advanced. I didn't recognize him through my bugs, but his trademark armor was hard to miss with my eyes.

I stopped when I reached him. His armor scuffed, Halberds out of reach, one arm torn from his body, and bleeding badly.

Armsmaster.

When my boots stopped, his helmet turned to me. "Yo-you're dead."

"Yes I am." I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear me. "Did you do it?"

Armsmaster was silent, but the bugs I had on him told me all I needed to know. I had the feeling he would have admitted it had Browbeat not been with me. There was no confusion as to what I meant, no shock or surprise. He did it, he somehow tinkered up an EMP that took out Sebastian's systems while he was fighting and there was no remorse in Armsmaster's posture, no shame or humility. Browbeat turned to me in confusion not having my understanding of the situation, or my bugs to tell him what they were telling me.

I knelt down beside heroic cape, activating my omni tool. In his condition, there wasn't anything he could do to stop me.

"Welding Torch." I waited for the split second it took to reconfigure.

Flesh sizzled bringing the unique smell of burning flesh to my senses. More than that was Armsmaster's scream of pain as I applied the omni tool to his bloody arm, cauterizing it. I swallowed thickly as it sent shivers down my spine.

"Now, _that_ is a sound I could get used to…" I whispered as I finished. Rising, I directed my comment to Browbeat even as I walked away. "See to your own, _hero_."

"Whoa, where are you going?"

"Would you rather I torture Armsmaster for however long he lasts? You would be _astounded_ at what I know about that now. It could be quite educational…" I didn't stop, answering with my back turned. "No? Pity. I think I could have made it last for _weeks_. I doubt he'd last long enough for me to get tired of his screams."

"Hey, what is going on?" Browbeat asked, his voice shook slightly at how calmly I stated that.

At his second question I did stop.

"All I know is Sebastian's armor was completely fried by an EMP. Leviathan doesn't have that ability, but Armsmaster does. I'm willing to bet that one of his halberds was recently upgrade to do it too. Funny, considering that it would have been useless against Leviathan. And who just so happens to be around to engage Leviathan after my Sebastian was fatally wounded? Mysteriously, no help comes when it's asked for either. I bet heros didn't have that problem.

"I wonder how long he spent working on it to get it just right for us." When I felt his body tense, I knew I was right. "Why did he do it? I don't know, but he did. But, who's going to believe a villain, right? _We're_ the bad guys, after all."

Browbeat moved close, but I kept my back to him. Leviathan had already taken out three of the capes against him. As I watched him through my bugs, I knew he could have done it sooner. He was playing with us now. All the heavies were gone, the only capes left were the desperate, or those to stubborn to walk away. Those like me, with nothing left to lose.

I ignored Browbeat shouting behind me. Ignored the fallen Armsmaster. None of it mattered. Not anymore. While a huge part of me wanted nothing more than to take Armsmaster somewhere secluded, and see if I _could_ make his visit last weeks, I didn't. It wouldn't change anything. Nothing I said to the PRT or the Protectorate would change anything. Sebastian would still be gone.

My steps carried me the rest of the way to the fight. Or, where the fight was. As I exited the alley, Leviathan had already knocked the last hero out of the fight. I raised my arm at the hulking Endbringer, stepping openly into the street.

"Concussion Shot."

The tech launched sending the little burst of force against him. It splashed uselessly against Leviathans back, not even staggering the brute.

He did stop, turning slowly to me. I bet I was the only cape to ever see an Endbringer look incredulously. There was no apparent change to its face that gave it away, just its manner and the way it turned. I don't know how I knew it, maybe something from Sebastian's training into body language clueing me in. Didn't matter. I had what I wanted. I had his attention.

"You missed one." Standing in the middle of the street, I lowered my arm, calmly facing the creature.

He didn't rush me, throw water or anything. Instead he slowly, menacingly, walked toward me. The ground shook with each footfall, rattling windows and making overturned cars shake. In contrast when I walked toward him, nothing so much as twitched. I stopped when the monstrous figure of muscle and scales towered over me.

"Ever since I got my powers," I whispered. "There was only one thing I ever got right. Just one thing I succeeded at, and she doesn't need me anymore. The Protectorate and you have taken everything else from me. My dad. Chatika. My friends. Sebastian. You have taken everything I have ever loved."

Leviathan lowered himself. I stood steady, as it's face lowered until it was right in front of me. So close, the damage showed clearly. Superficial, even his burning green eyes were only marginally damaged. After everything we did, he was no less as strong as the second he hit land. His head tilted just slightly enough for me think, I puzzled him. Understandable. I wasn't attacking him. It made me wonder, if anyone had ever tried it before. Considering what Endbringers did, and capes in general, probably not. As his arm slowly approached me, I remained standing completely still, except for my thumb, which I used to press down on the button of the device still in my hand.

My tears fell freely as I stared into one of the most feared things in creation, swallowed thickly as I whispered, "Fuck you both."

The impact of Leviathan's claw when he flicked me away, was unlike any pain I'd ever known. Even through my armor, bones that Sebastian's last efforts healed, broke. Air left my lungs leaving me unable to draw breath, but it didn't matter as my wide eyes watched the device, that only moments ago rested within my hand, hit the ground at Leviathans feet.

There was no flash of light, no explosion when the Last Man Standing detonated. What did happen was the very fabric of reality, _ripped_.

It was huge tear, massively wide. Inside it I saw as star scape and the open blackness that could only be space. A thing to note about space, its a void. One of the first things any space faring race learns about it, is that. Hull breaches were the bane of existence on a spaceship because of that fact. Explosive decompression was the nightmare of more than a few who traveled the stars.

As my body changed directions, snapping the exact opposite way Leviathan sent me, I got my first good look at what that meant, when you did it to a _planet_. Thing about space, there was no equalizing pressure. You either were protected from it, or you were in space. No middle ground. So what happens when you have X amount of pressure on one end of a two dimensional rip, and the absolute void of space on the other?

About what you would expect. Everything was pulled into the rip. Cars, trash, litter, water, even _buildings_, everything was sucked into it. Windows shattered, the buildings closest joined. All of it being sucked into the rip mercilessly.

Even Leviathan.

The Endbringer dug into the ground with his arms, trying to hold himself here. Half his body already in the void, dangling behind him for lack of purchase. Everything being dragged into the rip hit him on its way. As my body flew at him joining in the rain of debris, I wished for a moment I had brought my knife, one last strike before the end.

I guess I'd have to accept the look of surprise on Leviathans face instead.

I was only feet away when I changed directions again. The impact further damaging ribs already fractured or broken by Leviathan. I puked blood and bile as I fought to stay conscious, not understanding why I had suddenly stopped moving against the forces arrayed against me.

I turned slightly, my hair whipping wildly, finally noticing what caused it.

Dragon.

Somehow she caught me, cradling me in her arms even as her boosters roared out flames fifteen feet long. Her artificial frame shook from the stresses against us but held her ground. I turned back to Leviathan. Burning the image of his struggles against the inevitable into my fading mind as I lost consciousness again.

_Fuck you_


	70. Spectre 7

**Spectre Story Arc: 8.7**

Blurry white walls and an off white ceiling dominated my vision. A steady beep keeping my ear company. I knew this place. Not specifically _this_ place, but I'd stayed a few days in a bed in a room like this once. Of course, I was strapped down in restraints at the time still reeling from the locker, but I remember the coloring, beeping, and the clean smell of the place. I was in a hospital.

_I was alive._

I wanted to cry, but steeled myself against the impulse. Images of the battle rushed through me, leaving me with no doubt about my situation. A small part of me wondered how much damage I did, but I squashed it.

_It wouldn't be enough. Sebastian..._

I crushed that thought, _hard_. Had to, my situation was not what most would call, ideal. I couldn't move very well when I tried, armor not responding. My arm hung several feet above the bed. It was then I realized I was cuffed by a huge tinker manacle. I narrowed my eyes at it, realizing the beeps were coming from it. It was either tapped into my suits systems, or was somehow monitoring me through it. Shouldn't be possible but I'd seen Leet do some pretty impossible things with tinker shit so I couldn't say for sure. Might even be suppressing my systems. It's something I could see them doing since they didn't know how to remove my armor like they did my weapons. It would also explain a great deal about why I still hurt.

_So this is how it will be._

I considered my options. Not many came to mind. I tried activating my omni tool, but it only partially formed before it vanished. The screen on the tinker manacle beeped quickly before returning to it's steady beep. Yeah, definitely suppressing my system. Alright, then no real options were available.

Breath in, breath out. Steady, easy. I fought through my pain, using it to keep me awake. Within my armor I wiggled my toes, finding them responding fine. I flexed various muscles in my legs finding where I was injured the most. Plenty of fractures, maybe a hip dislocation. That was going to make walking, much less running if I got caught, fun. Worse was my ribs, pretty sure several were broken. If not, then definitely fractured. I was going to need my armor powered up before I could exert myself too much with that. Breathing hurt, but I maintained the pace I was at, steady.

So I had options then, but only if I could get free. I could be mobile, slow maybe, but I could leave if I managed to get that damn thing off. I squinted upward, looking at the set up I was attached to. Several metal poles ran up the wall, horizontal bars between them to create the support bracing for the bars above me.

No omni tool. Armor enhanced strength would be a loss as well, until I could get the suppressor off. I wasn't in any condition to rip myself free, not super strong like some capes. As I studied the tinker device, I noticed the keyhole. It wasn't anything special, just a regular key hole.

I tilted my head slightly, bullet ants I kept hidden in my collar moved free from their protective covers, running up my arm and into the device. My armor was a literal hive for the more exotic bugs I acquired. Not many survived the fight, a few ants, one spider and three Japanese Hornets but I didn't need the them right now.

I studied the mechanism getting a feel for it. Since I'd need silk to help unlock me, I sent a Darwinian Bark Spider upward to join them in my jail break. I turned to the door as I pulled more basic insects to me. People would be amazed at the places insects found to make homes in. Take hospitals for example, the paragon of cleanliness, yet I knew there were dozens of cockroaches, hundreds of flies, some spiders, and several others types in my range. It would take them a while traveling through the walls but it looked like I had the time. I'd be damned if I let them jail me after everything that happened.

I just about finished tying the line of silk just the way I wanted it, when two people started walking toward my curtained off bed. My spider dropped to the floor, moving under the bed even as my ants followed. The one at the top cut the line while those on the bottom vanished the rest. By the time my curtain was pulled away, there was no evidence I'd been tampering with the device.

Not sure who I expected to walk in here, but Panacea was pretty damn low on the list. I'd seen her at the meeting, and judging by the dark bags under her eyes, she'd been going full bore for sometime. Next to her was some PRT guard, hand on his sidearm as he eyed me through his tinted helmet.

"I need permission to touch you."

I almost snorted at how that sounded. Like touching me was about the last thing she wanted to do. I can't think of anything I'd done that affected New Wave, unless she was pissed we beat up her sisters boyfriend a few times. Well, I guess we did take a few shots at Glory Girl at the gala, but to be fair, we attacked a lot of heroes there. It wasn't personal. Of course, it could have just been that I was a villain, or maybe she was just cranky when she was tired. Personally, I really couldn't give a shit considering my situation.

In response to her statement, I jerked my arm making the chain rattle. "Name, Matriarch. Rank, C-commander. Serial number, Xray-674553-Tango-42. There will be no ransom paid for my capture. I will not cooperate. I will not answer questions. I will resist all attempts to force compliance."

My voice was scratchy, and I wanted to kick myself for stumbling over the rank. It wasn't mine, probably never would be, but with… I killed that line of thinking, focusing instead on the here and now. I'd grieve later, when I was free. However, by the time I finished the rest, it was more firm, defiant. I might as well as slapped Panacea with a cold fish, judging by the look on her face.

"Um, okay. Just agree so I can go see other patients."

I repeated myself, again jerking the chain, though a bit harder. I could hear whispers somewhere that told me someone noticed. "Name, Matriarch. Rank, Commander. Serial number, Xray-674553-Tango-42. There will be no ransom paid for my capture. I will not cooperate. I will not answer questions. I _will_ resist all attempts to force compliance."

Panacea took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before she addressed me again. She wasn't wearing a mask, I easily read the frustration as she steeled herself to calmly respond. "Look, I get that right now you're probably not thinking clearly, but Legend wanted me to get you up to one hundred percent mobility and lucidity for when he comes to talk to you. I do not heal people without permission. That is all I'm going to do. May I have your permission to heal you?"

So, they wanted to talk to me. Did they want the secrets to Sebastian's tech? Maybe, we showed our best stuff today, for all the damn good it did. I could see some rationale for it though, build enough suits and people with powers are a bit more durable, less casualties for the heroes anyways. Of all people, the PRT _knew _how effective our tech was against people. I'd certainly pissed them off enough to warrant arresting me to get it.

As I digested that bit of news, I adjusted my plans. For the third time, I jerked my arm, ignoring how much it hurt, again the chain rattled loudly. "Name, Matriarch. Rank, Commander. Serial number, Xray-674553-Tango-42. There will be no ransom paid for my capture. I will _not_ cooperate. I will _not_ answer questions. I _will_ resist all attempts to force compliance."

"Will you stop that, you are not a prisoner!"

I didn't respond except to jerk my arm while looking at her. I had no doubt my silent reply was understood. A few cockroaches had finally arrived close enough to use, which helped me to figure out what was going on with the whispers. A few more PRT guards, outside the door. As I tagged them, one of them walked away quickly.

"It's a cautionary restraint, all the villains have them until they are cleared by someone in the Protectorate." Panacea explained.

"Then release me. If I am not a prisoner, _release_ me."

"I can't do that…"

"Name, Matriarch. Rank, Commander. Serial number, Xray-674553-Tango-42. There will be no ransom paid for my capture. I will not cooper-"

The healing cape shook her head in frustration, leaving the same way she came with her bodyguard. Once the screen was closed, I sent my ants and spider back to work. As I looked at the chain connected to the manacle, I figured I might, maybe, get my omni blade to cut it free once I got the tinker device off. I'd take it with me, destroying it before I left, just to be sure it wasn't some kind of analyzing device.

The heroes took enough from me. They wouldn't get anymore.

This reminded me of my thoughts earlier, today? Yesterday? This mistrust, while I'm sure wasn't entirely unwarranted, was just a symptom of the disease that was in the game. But I was done playing, and trust was something I wasn't capable of right now.

Once again my spider ran silk to my ants, who then took it inside the mechanism. The trick was going to get the spring to release the paw, but I had an idea for that. I stretched slightly, taking the pressure off as I willed my bugs to complete the maneuver when I heard more voices coming my way. Thinking quickly I stilled, listening.

Someone was arguing. I could hear one of them, but not the other, not until they closed to just outside the door to the room I was in. There were five of them, but only two seemed to be talking.

"I don't give a _fuck_ about your rules. Dude, you have no idea who you are fucking with when she's like that. I do, now, I'm going to talk to Matriarch and explain what is going on. The rest of you assholes stay the fuck out here until we walk out."

_Uber? _I let out a gasp, recognizing his voice. _Uber, h-he made it._ I closed my eyes in relief that he survived. Hearing his voice, angry and concerned, _close_, had me sagging into the bed. When my cockroaches moved onto the armored boot of another, I sent it up the back of his leg. the mental picture I was getting from it told me enough to recognize the unique armor configuration used by Leet. Eyes still closed, I let my tears fall freely, not caring I couldn't wipe my face. My friends made it. I didn't lose anyone else.

Someone with a deep voice, sounding vaguely familiar, was arguing but I couldn't hear the words. I tagged him as 'armored boot' for now. Armored Boot didn't seem to agree with my teammates plan.

"Dude, I don't give a _shit_! You have my teammate cuffed to a fucking bed, and you think that's going to score points with _me_? Or anyone else? She killed an _Endbringer! _You dumb bastards should have put her up in the motherfucking Hilton!"

I smiled grimly, hearing that. It worked. _I hope it _hurt_._

And Uber, yelling like that, he couldn't have known what the heroes did. As far as I knew, no one but Browbeat, Armsmaster, and I knew what happened. My confusion cleared when I realized who I was thinking about. Uber didn't rank high on the emotionally stable spectrum, especially when people he cared about were hurt, and we lost two teammates today. He was probably just lashing out, though I couldn't say I blamed him for it. I wasn't particularly charitable to heroes right now either.

More words from Armored Boot distracted me, bringing me back to the here and now. They were interrupted when Uber voice rose again. "You better get the hell out of my face before something bad happens to you, asshole."

Whatever was said, some kind of challenge by what Uber I think, went incomplete when my friend cut him off. It also identified who Armored Boot was.

"Fuck you too. This is how this is going to play, you either let me talk to Matriarch, or I'm going to find whatever is left of your arm, and beat you to fucking death with it. How's that sound, _bitch_?"

"Enough! This is not the place for this."

_Legend. _

Uber and Leet were talking to Armsmaster, Legend, and an unknown then. Judging by what I could hear, it seemed Armsmaster was trying to stop them from seeing me. I lay still, waiting. Uber's voice lowered so I couldn't hear what was going on as I watched the area. I didn't see any other capes around, just hospital staff doing what they do. After some time, the footsteps closed on me before Uber parted the curtain.

He took one look at me before turning to the door. "Fuck you sideways, where's her helmet?"

I sensed the group approach, but only Uber, Leet and the unknown were close to my area. Legend responded to Uber's question. "Downstairs, along with other recovered tinker paraphernalia."

"Wrong. The _right _answer is, the mother fucking helmet is on it's way up, Uber. Want to give it another shot?"

I clearly heard Armsmaster, "Listen you-"

"The helmet is on it's way up, Uber. Other gear, specifically weapons, I will have to ask be left below, under guard. Safety reasons, this is a hospital, after all." Legend calmly stated. "They will be returned to you later, after your team has been cleared."

"Fine, but if I find any of you mooks fucking with our shit, I'll fuck you up. And keep dickhole away from our gear, got me?"

"Very well. Armsmaster, let's give them a moment. Browbeat, I'll trust you to keep, our guests 'honest'. Alright?"

"Sure." Browbeat said.

Uber snorted at the honest comment, before he let Leet in. Browbeat closed the curtain behind them, sealing us in.

I smiled at my friends. Unashamedly letting my tears fall at seeing both of them well enough to push around Legend, of all people. "I have never been so glad to see you two insane morons in my life."

Uber looked me over. I couldn't see his face but I heard his concern in his voice. "We heard…"

I shook my head, not even trying to hid my pain at what he was going to say. "Don't. Not now, please?"

Uber watched me silently, before he nodded once, faceplate turning to the manacle on my arm. "Bastards. How we playing this?"

"We're not." I replied. I ignored the capes looking at me in surprise, as I directed my attention at the fourth of our group. "What's Curbcheck doing here?"

"Seriously? You too?"

"It _is_ a pretty cool name, man." Uber said to the biokinetic before he turned back to me. "He's got potential. Found us searching the place and told us where they were holding you. Having a hero escort got us up here before we found Panacea telling Legend you wouldn't let her heal you."

I kept my attention on the hero in our midst. "Why?"

Curb, _Browbeat_ shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time, besides, I owed Renegade one. Two if you count the wave he shielded me from. This doesn't square us, but word around the campfire is you don't mind taking payments."

Between his body posture, and my bugs, I got a lot more than his vague answer supplied. Confusion, regret, shame, frustration. Whatever was driving him, he was keeping to himself, but he was making his own moves now, for his own reasons.

Good enough for me, I turned to Uber. "Panacea said Legend wanted to 'talk'."

Leet snorted as he checked out the tinker restraint. "Him and half the fucking city."

"No shit." Uber commented before answering me. "You left part of an Endbringer bleeding out on the battlefield. _A lot_ of people want to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk. I want to leave."

Uber nodded as he turned to Leet. "How long?"

"Couple of minutes." Leet answered. "Lock is a simple key thing."

"Destroy it." I ordered. "Just make sure whatever you do, does not endanger anyone around us."

"Done. Thermite will take care of this, Cryo back blast to negate the fire. Fuck this bed up when it goes off, probably scare the shit out of some people but the cryo will contain the damage to here."

"Perfect. Also, my armor's damaged. I need my systems adjusted to make it easier to get around, especially since I doubt they're going to be happy with us leaving without permission."

Uber activated his omni tool, creating a few lockpicks. "I'll get the lock, check her gear, Leet."

The tinker turned away from the manacle to run his omni tool over me, frowning at what it told him. "Even without the suppression field, you're pretty messed up. You should let Panacea heal you-"

"No. No hero touches me. We're leaving, and when we get to the ship, we can see what Mr. Doctor can fix and what he can't."

"Mr… Doctor? You guys have a healing cape on your team? And he's called… sheesh and you make fun of MY name."

"Something like that." I muttered, not willing to divulge anymore than I already had, nor really appreciating his attempts to lighten the atmosphere.

I heard Leet sigh, ignoring Browbeat's comment altogether. "Alright. I'm going to have to cannibalize your kinetic barriers to get the field splints to work. Assuming yours still work. I know mine took a beating from the wave that took me out."

"Do it."

Instead of instantly getting started, he turned to Browbeat. "You are not on the crew, so no comments-" Leet pointed at Uber. "-as for you, you shut up."

Uber snorted, as Browbeat just raised his hands. I knew what he was doing, trying to lighten the mood with humor, it was just their way. I gave a slight smile I didn't feel to let him know I understood. Leet turned to me, hands hovering over me for a moment before he cursed to himself and put his hands on my armored chest. A few movements had the access panel opened, quickly followed by the chest piece parting down middle, folding to my sides.

Browbeat, watching from the end of the bed, just stood there looking a bit stunned. "...Awkward."

I didn't comment as Leet made a few adjustments, pulling the oversized power cell contained inside. "Damn, must have been a hell of a ride. This things trashed. No worries though, I can make this work. Won't last long though."

"Estimate?"

"Thirty minutes? Man, that's being generous. Say, half that?"

Not much time, I thought, swallowing thickly. Knowing there was no way to know, other than to ask, I turned to the cape standing beside me. "Uber, do you know where Sebastian's… where Sebastian is."

Uber froze, even Leet froze as he adjusted something he pulled from his many pockets. In the all consuming silence around us, my answer came from Browbeat's whisper.

"Sub basement, level two."

_The morgue._

"You sure?" I whispered back.

Browbeat nodded as he replied. "All the capes who, didn't make it, were taken down there. It's under guard though, to make sure no one messes with them."

"Excuse me?" Uber asked, his voice very clear as if he said each work carefully.

I turned back to the thinker. "We're not leaving without Sebastian."

"Not that I'm against the idea, but why are we stealing him? I can't see the heroes doing anything, you know, _disrespectful._" Leet asked uncomfortably.

"Sebastian had… a unique fear for his remains. It's not something I understand very well, but its something I _know_." I answered awkwardly to the guys before I gave my personal reasons for the heist. "Besides, we take care of our own. E-even, even this."

Uber nodded slowly before he returned to his task. "Enough said."

Leet nodded as well, I turned to Browbeat. "How far down the rabbit hole are you willing to go?"

"What do you need?" The cape instantly replied.

The plan quickly came together in my mind as I thought about what I wanted to do, and how I wanted to do it. Time was a factor, but having Browbeats cooperation meant we just might be able to do this without having to kill anyone on our way out. Regardless, one way or another, we were leaving. I'd rather it was quiet, but at this moment, going loud has its upsides.

"Alright, here is what we're going to do…"

_XxXExiledXxX_

Thirty minutes later found Leet and me walking out of a locked room normally only accessible by certain medical personnel. Leet occasionally sent a concerned glance in my direction, his helmet making the looks conspicuous as we made our way quickly through the corridor. He had good reason but we were mostly ignored. Not surprising, this hospital wasn't rated for the injuries they were dealing with and the place was literally crawling in capes. People were way too busy trying to stabilize the survivors to worry about two capes walking down the hall.

Two hallways down with him shooting me glances finally made me comment. "I know what I'm doing, Leet."

"Alright, but they all say that."

I nodded, understanding what he really meant. "Combat stim, Leet. I'll grant you its a crude cocktail taken the way I did it, but that's all it is. Just the one to get me through this. Time is a factor and we need to get out of here soon, or we might not be able to. You know how I feel about what you're thinking."

"That was before-" Leet cut himself off, shaking his head. "-never mind. Just, you looked a bit too comfortable doing that. Made me think shit, you know?"

"I know." I whispered back just low enough for him to hear me. "First time I've done it, but there were times when Sebastian… I'll explain later, but not now. I-I don't even understand it all. Chalk it up to that I know something about combat stims now, and that it's not addictive. Not at one dose. I trust myself not to cross the line, just like I trust you and Uber to keep me on the straights."

"Better believe that shit. I'm not going through that again. Once was enough."

I nodded as we entered the elevator, punching the button for the sub basement. Browbeat was above us now, somewhere on the ground floor. Next to him were a couple of PRT personnel or capes. Couldn't tell much without more bugs, but that would have been too obvious. Uber was accessing the surveillance feed from a blind spot in the parking garage, so that put all the pieces in play. Now we just needed to get our teammate back.

Between the mass effect fields taking the weight off my injuries, forcefield splints, and the combat stim, I was mobile. Not exactly one hundred percent, but good enough that if we needed to get active, I could do my share. The damage I was doing to myself was going to cost me later, but that was a problem for then. Right now, we needed to disappear. This was the price to do so, and I was willing to pay it gladly if it meant our freedom from the heroes.

We exited when the doors opened, a sign on the wall pointed us the way we needed to go. Eventually our steps carried us there to find the guards Browbeat mentioned. Two chainmesh PRT men turned helmeted heads to us, stiffening as we advanced on them. One of them, an older man by the sound of his voice stepped forward holding his hand up to stop our advance.

"This is a restricted section. No one is allowed past this point."

We stopped a few feet away. The second man, hand on his sidearm watched us intently. I turned my focus to the one who spoke. "I only want my teammate."

"I can understand that." I blinked at the compassion in the mans voice but narrowed my eyes distrustful of it. It wasn't that it rang false, I think that I just didn't trust anyone right now, except for my people. "But we are charged with protecting the fallen. Heroes _and_ villains. I can't let you inside, Matriarch."

I thought about threatening him, hell, my first thought was to just kill them both. Instead, I stood still, Leet standing beside me ready to back whatever direction I took.

I swallowed thickly, whispering, "I am leaving, but I am not leaving without Sebastian. I have no interest in the others, don't care about who they were, past or present. I have no grudges to settle with the dead, considering my own situation. I have no reason to hurt the living through them either. I just want to take my Sebastian home. T-that is all I want."

The seconds slipped away agonizingly slow in our stand-off. The two across from us, silent before I heard the one who was talking to us, sigh.

"Why don't you go get us some coffee, Rob."

"Sir?" The second man replied, startled.

"Black, double sweet for me. Get it from the cafeteria, would ya? The nurses at the checkpoint can't make a cup of coffee for shit."

"I don't think that's a good idea, sir."

"It will be fine. I'll talk to Matriarch, get her on her way. Be a good man now, get the coffee."

There was no doubt it was an order. I wouldn't have picked up on it before, well, before. I waited as the second guard's helmet turned from me to the other guard before he walked away. No one spoke until he rounded the corner away from us.

The guard turned to me once his buddy was out of sight. "Rookie, only been with us a few weeks now. Good kid though. Reminds me of my son. Not the brightest candle on the mantel, but means well."

The three of us faced each other silently, before he started speaking again. "You probably don't remember my son. Probably just another kid to you who got caught up in that kind of life. I tried to help him, but it just seemed to make it worse. Then he ran into you a couple of times, back when you first came to town. After the last time he and his girl put themselves in rehab, got clean. Stayed that way too. Not many try that, much less succeeded. Proud of that boy, and I have you and Renegade to thank, that I can say that."

I was further surprised when he turned away from me, sliding his ID card through the reader. The door unlocked but he kept his back to us, holding his card up so it was visible. "Back of the morgue there's an elevator that they use to bring in unfortunates, and to send them on. Easy access to the parking garage."

I opened my mouth but couldn't talk from the gratitude at what he was doing. It wasn't a small thing, letting us in like this. It took me a few times to get the words out, "Thank you."

"A man has nothing, if he doesn't have family. It's that important and I have you to thank for keeping mine. You don't have to thank me, Matriarch. Johnny said the migraine's a bitch, but I can think of worse things to go through than a bad headache."

I nodded to Leet, since my omni tool didn't have that tech available right now. Leet adjusted his settings before firing the Neural Shock, rendering the guard unconscious.

He picked up the access card as we carefully passed the guard. I paused, looking at him. A lot of things happened between back then and now, but there was one I remembered who might have been his son. I kind of hoped it wasn't, but kind of hoped it was at the same time since he obviously got clean over it. It would have made what we did to him worth it.

"Do you remember him? His son?" Leet asked.

I nodded, turning away. "I think so. Yeah, if its the same guy I'm thinking about, but it's been a while since the stuff we did before Bay Central. Didn't know his name was Johnny, we called him Twitchy."

"Man, that don't sound good. Why Twitchy?"

I shrugged as we headed in deeper. Sebastian's armor was fried, but there were other ways to track him now that my omni tool was working better than it did earlier. I kept my eyes on it, using my bugs to avoid bumping into anything as I responded. "It was when we were just getting started. I didn't understand a lot of our tech back then, used one without thinking about it. Hence, Twitchy."

I shook my arm in frustration. "Damn it. My omni tool's glitchy. Check yours."

"Mines doing the same thing. Wierd though, it just seems to be the transponder that's glitching. Maybe the black box got damaged? Or something down here is interfering with the signal?"

"Maybe. Come on, we're running out of time. It's just through this door."

I opened the door, walking in, only to freeze. Sebastian's armored bulk was easily recognizable, resting on a table that looked specifically designed to support heavy capes. That didn't pause me as much as the two people next to him. One of them was dressed like a ninja.

The other was _Ayres_.

I didn't even think, just reacted. I ran forward kicking the gurney directly into the ninja while rushing Ayres. Everything seemed to slow except for me, the gurney taking forever to reach it's target even as I closed on the hero. Ayres pulled some kind of tinker revolver from his duster, took aim, and fired.

The moment he reached, I was already pivoting away, the ninja half vanished into a cloud of darkness, the gurney smashing through it. As I completed my turn, I grabbed a tray full of sharp implements and threw it where I was sure the teleporter would go. The black mist that only started to form there, disbursed quickly. Done, I rushed forward, ducking low, omni blade already forming as I half slid, half threw myself into position to stop Ayres from getting any more shots off.

His first shot missed by a wide margin as I was well gone by the time he managed to pull it free. His second came close, but not close enough to do more than glance off my armored shoulder. However, my swing did _not_ miss, severing his arm at the wrist. My following headbutt created a clash of reinforced alloy and cartilage that lead to the expected conclusion. That of sending the man screaming into the wall of shelves behind him, nose satisfyingly broken.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose, spinning I impaled the man behind me with my still glowing blade. The ninja, arms out as if to grab me, shook as the diamond-hard flash forged blade of searing hot silicon-carbide, speared him through his chest.

I held it there, staring into his eyes until smoke began to emerge from his mouth, though the fabric covering it. Only then did I pull my arm back, letting the unnamed ninja fall to the ground, dead. I spun around again, seeing Ayres holding his face even as he tried to get his feet to run.

"Where the hell do you think _you're_ going?" I screamed as I kicked him between the legs with everything my armor enhanced legs could give me.

Ayres dropped back to the ground, eyes bulging widely, mouth open almost as much, as he tried to get air into his lungs through what must have been excruciating pain.

Not that he hurt _nearly_ enough for my tastes.

"I warned you Ayres, warned you not to miss for a reason. That being..." I growled as I stood over the man who ruined one of the best days of my life. A day I'd never get a chance to repeat again. I brought up my leg, stomping into his chest. _Hard._ Bone snapped, and if I didn't collapse his lungs, I knew I at least broke his sternum. "... that I wasn't going to."

I turned away from the man, letting him gasp for air he wouldn't get. Leet's helmet faced me, body posture rigid in his surprise but I ignored it. My focus was on Sebastian.

He was so pale. Someone had the decency to cover his wound but I still knew it was there. I lightly stroked the side of his face, nerve simulators in my gauntlet giving me the sensations of cold skin. So cold...

"Please tell me they didn't do anything to him." I whispered, ignoring the gurgles coming from behind me.

By now Leet pulled himself together enough to scan Sebastian. His reply just as reverently quiet as my question was. "No, doesn't look that way."

"We'll need to generate a mass lowering field to move him. Get the gurney please?" I asked thankful we got here in time. "We're here now, Sebastian, we got your back. Time to go."

_XxXExiledXxX_

The drive in the appropriated ambulance Uber got for us, was a long one. Just short of two hours. Browbeat came through in getting all our gear and helped Uber load it up front in the passenger seat. Leet rode in the back with Sebastian and me. The city passed in a blur I didn't see as I kept my eyes on Sebastian. It was a very quiet ride.

Every jostle of the vehicle sent fire running through my body. Pain killers wore off some time ago but I bore through it, sending as much of my consciousness as I could into my bugs, trying to lose myself in them to help fight it. It worked for the most part, but the blood I coughed up had Leet worried. I had to assure him several times that I'd let Uber check me once we were back on the ship.

It didn't help my armor's systems kept failing, forcing Leet to cannibalize other things to keep the fields I needed in place. Omni tool, life support so that I couldn't wear my helmet, even some things from his own armor. By the time we arrived, he even had to tinker something out of the defibrillator he found in here, and even that was running low. My armor was just too damaged to keep anything running for long.

The ambulance stopped, the voices I heard telling me Uber was talking to Bruce. I followed the ant I had on the older Scotsman as he opened the gate to let us through. I kept tabs on him until he fell out of my range.

Eventually, we stopped again, this time at the clearing we were driving for. Uber had to help Leet with Sebastian, since I wasn't in any shape to do it. Uber helped me down next.

The loading bay door opening looked eerie. All around the clearing, the dark woodland looked normal, aside from the change in reality as it settled down. The short ramp led up to what looked like a portal hanging in the air, showing the interior of the cargo bay, yet because the ship was cloaked, it seemingly existed when it shouldn't.

At the top of the ramp were the girls. Even as I stumbled forward along side the guys, Dinah broke away rushing to us. Paige and Sharee following slower as they looked horrified at our sad procession.

Dinah broke the silence of our arrival even before we made it to the ramp. Tears streaking from her face as she practically threw herself into me."I-I'm sorry!"

I grit my teeth against the pain, not wanting to give it away and hurt her feelings. Very carefully, very slowly, I knelt. Gently I raised her chin so she was looking at me.

"You are not at fault, Dinah." I assured the distraught girl.

"B-b-but…"

I shook my head. "No Dinah. What happened-" I took a deep breath to keep my own tears from overcoming me. "-it is very bad, but it is not your fault. Your power, it lets you see and know things that will _likely_ happen. _But_ that does not mean it _will_, or make you responsible for it."

"I saw it weeks ago!" Dinah tearfully confessed. "I'm _so_ sorry I didn't tell you. I was so scared when I had that dream. I-I tried to change it, with my power, but it just got _worse._ So, so much worse a-and I was so scared to tell anyone. T-things were g-going so well f-for…"

I quietly hugged the rambling young cape, resting my chin on her head as she fell into tears. Words she struggled to say, lost to her pain. I ignored mine, kneeling with her in my arm, letting her get it out. My eyes closed letting the tears I'd been holding back, finally fall.

Once she settled to mere sniffles, I leaned away, wiping her eyes with my thumb. "There's nothing to forgive, Dinah. Now, I think Uber wants me in the med bay, and when I'm healed up, we'll say our goodbyes to S-Sebastian, alright?"

"C-can I stay with you, until then?"

I nodded, accepting Paige's hand to help me up. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Together, we walked into the ship, letting the loading ramp close behind us, the stolen ambulance the only evidence we were ever there.


	71. Spectre 8

**Spectre Story Arc: 8.8**

Legend looked to the kneeling man. "So, hes been dead for twenty minutes?"

"Approximately. I won't know for sure until I perform an autopsy of course, but from what I'm seeing this man lost his hand to the same thing that killed the other cape, had his nose broken by something very hard, and judging by the blood and fluids on his trousers, likely had his testicles ruptured by blunt force trauma. Arguably the same trauma could be the cause of death, from what I'm seeing and feeling of his ribcage. If I had to guess, and I really don't like speculating over such things, I would say his lungs are at the very least punctured. Blood would have slowly filled them, choking what air he could have gained until they ultimately failed. His last moments would have been very... unpleasant."

Legend sighed, nodding to the kneeling doctor before turning away. This whole thing was turning from bad, to complete clusterfuck worse. Who the hell _were_ these capes? What the hell was going on in this city?

More questions came, but no answers manifested from the ether, his steps carrying him to the where the injured guard was being treated. A short interview with his partner gave Legend enough of the picture he needed to see how some of this came about, but it was all still too incomplete. As he entered the room he noticed the doctor was still checking on him, which gave Legend some time to put his thoughts in order. Apparently he was missing something. Something critical about Matriarch and the capes who worked for her.

Uber and Leet he knew of. Uber was a Thinker 4, if he remembered right, skill masteries. Leet was reportedly a Tinker 4. Spent the last few years doing what most villains did, committing moderate crimes, robberies or using their powers to have fun at the taxpayers expense. According to information from the conscious local heros, that changed about a month ago when they started working for Matriarch. Still, that did not explain how she turned two of the most incorrigible capes in the game, into the people he talked to earlier. It made no sense.

Then they broke the Birdcage transit that was transporting the capes, Canary -now Siren- and Lung. But instead of taking the overpowered leader of the ABB, they took the _singer_. Stranger, they never used her. Not one verifiable instance in any of their exploits since, was there any recollection that they made use of the Master Cape's powers to further their ends. Oh, there were rumors of course, most of those coming from people committing crimes and claiming she made them do it, but absolutely nothing substantiated according to Miss Militia. That made even less sense to Legend than anything prior. Why take the risk, leave behind the powerhouse, and then not use the rescued cape's powers?

And what about the mysterious cape seen only once before? According to Miss Militia they knew nothing about her, though rumor had it she was some kind of thinker, or stranger cape, but there was nothing to back it up. People reaching for something, trying to understand a situation that didn't make sense from the start.

Of all the capes so far, Renegade was the hardest to figure out, and the most well known to the local heroes. Rumors of him circulated for months as he ghosted through the city taking what he wanted from villains, leaving behind the occasional body count. Then, Matriarch appears, and almost kills Lung. Presumably, they planned it that way. Typical really, villains stepping into a new area, taking the biggest bad guy and dropping him, letting other villains know they were better or stronger before entrenching themselves into the local scene.

But what really confused Legend, was that the picture of Renegade did not match up to the man he saw before Leviathan made land, or the man who sacrificed himself for them. The man who fought with them was skilled, driven, willing to do what was necessary to fight in the defense of others. Proven by Longbeard when he reported Renegade shielded him and two other heroes from Leviathan's wave. Proven again by _Dragon,_ and higher praise could not be gained in Legend's book, when she informed the still functioning capes of his willingness to stall for them to regroup.

The verbal accounting of him painted a picture of a murderous meat grinder who seemed to only answer to one cape, Matriarch. The hit man you didn't want coming for you, capable of mass collateral damage with a willingness to do so. Not to mention, powerful enough to take on a platoon of mercs singlehandedly. That he lasted for eight minutes against Leviathan, solo, was a testament to his abilities. Still, the pictures didn't add up.

However, none of that, none of his questions about the others were anywhere near as important as those he had about Matriarch, the cape at the center of it all. A lot of speculation surrounded her, like a fog, and just as insubstantial. Legend sighed, he didn't even know where to _start_.

Looking up from his thoughts, Legend noticed the doctor still attending the guard they found earlier. Instead of interrupting, he turned to his companion.

"I need more information. You meet with Matriarch once, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"What were your impressions of her?"

Miss Militia lowered her head slightly, clearly thinking and forming her thoughts. Legend didn't rush her, knowing the dedicated Protectorate hero was always thoughtful when she approached a hot topic, and Matriarch was about as 'hot' a topic as it got. Especially in the wake of the last twenty four hours.

"My encounter with her was brief, mainly focused on her death threat against Thomas Calvert and the reasons behind it." Legend nodded, waving her to continue.

"I would say she is very intelligent, thoughtful, and calculating. When I approached, she sent insects to lead me to her, choosing the ground to meet. She talked with me alone, though I will note that she had others with her. When I confronted her about the privacy of our talk, she signaled Uber to show himself. He was covering me with a tinker rifle. It told me she didn't trust me, while also showing a willingness to trust. Assault walked away with a similar impression of her."

Legend nodded. "I'd like to talk to him. Later, of course, once Battery's out of surgery. What else can you tell me?"

"She is not what you would expect from a villain." At Legends confused look, Miss Militia explained. "As an example, the type of people she surrounds herself with. One of them actually hit on me."

"Excuse me?"

"One of her non-powered minions made a pass at me." Miss Militia chuckled as she explained. "It was fairly unnerving really, but it exemplifies my point. Almost all villains in a similar situation would have tried to make themselves look unassailable, frightening or intimidating. Matriarch did no such thing. She even offered me a cup of tea while we talked."

"That is a very different picture than the one she painted at the gala."

"True, but also not."

"Explain."

"Matriarch struck me as a very personable cape. Civil to speak to, very forthright and honest, while also firm in her beliefs. She does not care for convention or posturing, preferring action to words. My personal opinion is, she has a code she lives by, and very strictly adheres to it. The people she surrounds herself with, are the same. Take the henchmen who hit on me, while I have doubts he was serious, the fact remains he did so in view of Matriarch. She seemed embarrassed by his antics, while also amused. All of this while she was meeting with an enemy. I gleaned she views her people as more than means to an end. She's comfortable with them, maybe even associates with them out of costume. That she does so with her henchmen, speaks of a greater underlying theme to her group. This being the point, that Matriarch is fiercely protective of the people in her employ, from the highest, to the lowest."

"Interesting." Legend mused. "I can see you're point. Not a typical villain at all. Go on please."

"The attacks that lead to me seeking her out, they were in response of Uber being captured while out of costume, and the girl he was escorting to be taken as a person of interest. An interesting thing to note about that, the only connection the girl had to Matriarch was that she was in the company of Uber, yet Matriarch sent a very high priced lawyer to her defense. We know it was Matriarch because there was no feasible way Miss Rockford could afford him on her own and she has no connections to anyone else who would have done so for her. I will grant you it's nothing we can use, but this too speaks to Matriarchs character.

"On the same day, someone tried to kill her while out of costume. Matriarch believes it was a Protectorate sanctioned assassination attempt. One specifically carried out by Ayres."

"The Boardwalk incident?" At Miss Militia's curt nod, Legend continued. "That would explain his injuries. That wasn't something done in the heat of a fight. That was deliberate. She wanted him to suffer. Was there any proof to her allegations?"

"Nothing that would get an arrest warrant, much less hold up in a court of law. He was my prime suspect when I took over the investigation, but I was unable to find any evidence to support it. All I could do was restrict his access level and lock him out of PRT resources.

"That is another point I'd like to make. Even before we started talking, Matriarch sent for several documents. Documents which she gave me at the end of our meeting. Mostly highly circumstantial links connecting Thomas Calvert to the supervillain, Coil. I mentioned in my report, that she believes he infiltrated the PRT, and that he was responsible for the murder of the Alcotts, as well as her continued disappearance. Matriarch freely admitted she has the girl now, and intended to use the situation to destroy Coil. Both by exposing him as Calvert, as well as personally.

"However beyond that, in the packet were several helmet cam clips, obviously from their hardsuits. One of them showed Ayres and Lo Wang standing on a rooftop, with Ayres pointing a rifle in her direction. However, no shots were fired, and that was the only link she could provide as to who the shooter was. We can't even say for sure, it was from the same day. Regardless, she believes it, and obviously there was something between them. Knowing Ayres, he might have thought to use Renegade as a way to draw out Matriarch. It would be something he would have done."

"Ayres was obviously off the reservation." Legend stated, thinking about all he learned. "I want to know for who, but that doesn't help us right now. Right now, we need to figure out what we are going to do with the mess she left us. I can't see us keeping what happened here any more quiet than her killing Leviathan. She detonated an incendiary device in her hospital room, murdered two capes, stole a body from the morgue, and apparently also stole an ambulance. All of it right under our noses while severely injured. What I do not understand, is _why_?"

"She didn't trust us," Panacea broke in, pausing in her stride to explain. "I told you, she thought she was a prisoner."

"She wasn't." Legend argued. "Uber was supposed to explain that to her. If he didn't, Browbeat should have."

Miss Militia nodded to Panacea's point. "Her following actions would reflect that line of thinking. No matter what Uber informed her of, he would have ultimately followed her lead. We should question Browbeat to know what transpired. He might be able to give us a greater understanding over Matriarch's motives."

Panacea walked past them, Legend turned to Miss Militia. "Send for him. I want to question him about why he authorized the release of her team's gear. I also want everything we have on Matriarch. If things keep going like this, we're likely to lose this city despite everything that was achieved."

"Yes sir."

_XxXExiledXxX_

It took four days to heal me. In that time, the forums exploded, rumors were rife, the PRT was doing some real fancy PR work, and I was unconscious for all of it, thankfully. Not that I would have paid attention to any of it anyways. Instead, I spent the prior day with Dinah since it was going to be her last day with us.

Not the happy occasion I hoped it would be. If anything, I thought as the loading ramp descended, this was almost as hard to do as it was to bury Sebastian.

The place I picked was nice, and very out of the way, in South America. A little overlook he showed me once from his initial days of N training. During those very rare times when the recruits did well and got free time, he said he'd go there. Just take in the view, and even on my Earth, it was a breathtaking view. Sebastian said at that time, being there made him feel more at peace than anything else since he lost his parents. On Earth Bet, that location was pretty much raw forest, far from any civilization. I couldn't think of a better place to lay him to rest.

As the ramp settled down, Steve and Greg started forward, both carrying assault rifles in their hands. Steve had the Revenant, a monstrously large assault rifle, capable of putting an insane amount of bullets down range. Not very accurate, but that was sort of the point of the weapon. It wasn't meant to be accurate. It was meant to hose down an area until whoever you were shooting at stopped moving. Greg was carrying my rifle, augmented with an extended barrel for more stopping power, and a thermal clip drum, to keep it cooler longer. Both were clad in their armor, repaired from the battle.

Dinah and I followed them, Dinah holding my left hand, since my right was nothing more than a skeleton looking bit of tech, that Leet had put together on the fly. Not a lot of time to rebuild something complicated like my arm, with all the other stuff we had going on. I didn't carry any weapons other than my knife, and sidearm. Neither of them were in my right hand, that was reserved for Dinah's backpack. My own armor was, thankfully, back up and running. Cosmetically still trashed, but everything worked. But Dinah looked good enough for both of us, in her yellow outfit. Siren feathers and all.

Behind us, came Paige and Rorrim. Both in armor for the first time, sub machine and standard pistols on their hips. Neither suit was built with them in mind, but Uber and Leet managed to modify them well enough for the girls to use for this.

As Uber and Leet waited for us at the bottom of the ramp, I looked to the people waiting for us. Specifically the two up front. Mayor Roy Christner and his wife. Ms. Christner's gaze was locked on Dinah, shining in relief. Mr. Christener however, seemed to be quite cross with us, looking over our heads behind us.

The ship wasn't cloaked and we parked on his lawn. Some people got upset over their friends parking cars on their lawns. We weren't anywhere near 'friend' league, and the Corvette class starship was a little bit bigger than a car. Thankfully, it was good to be the Mayor. Meaning, he had a big lawn.

The ship took up a good portion of the open area we set down in. Maybe not as pretty as the SR-3 was spec'd to be, thanks to her design being based more on need than aesthetics, and being longer than it was wide. The open cargo bay clued those watching that she was multi purpose, since you could see our workshop, fabrication stations, and other bits of equipment. As you took it all in, and if you squinted really hard, she was almost swan like. Thick in the body, long in the neck. The slight spade-like head ruined the image somewhat, as did the short wings. Of course, the oversized power core glowing in the back didn't really help either.

Yeah, I guess I could see why the mayor was upset with us.

Behind them, were three others. A younger girl stood behind two teenagers. Another girl and a guy. All three watching. Oddly, the teenagers weren't acting like I expected them too. No fear, grim frowns dominating their expressions. The guy was even texting someone on his phone.

I didn't comment on it, taking the lead and moving us toward the adults. Before we arrived too close, I turned to Paige, handing her Dinah's hand. My steps then carried me ahead of the pack so I could speak privately with Dinah's guardians.

"Mr. and Ms. Christner." I greeted them, handing over Dinah's pack to the woman. "Dinah's personal stuff. She didn't have anything when we found her, but she's collected a few things since. Also, we enrolled her in a homeschooling program under the name, Mary-Ann Granford. Records, test scores and such, are enclosed as well as all the passwords to access the site."

It took a second for Dinah's aunt and uncle to reply to that surprising bit of news. "Thank you, Matriarch. We can't tell you how worried we've been for her."

"A couple of things before we leave." I said. "I want to make some things clear. First, we did not keep her from you for her power. We found her being chased by Coils mercenaries, and stopped them. It was all over the news, the firefight in the Docks. As much as we'd like to have brought her home sooner, we couldn't until we put a stop to Coil. Not sure if you would have been told, but he was the one responsible for what happened to her parents. Now that he's dead, Dinah should be safe with you.

"Second, we have grown very attached to Dinah. _I,_ have grown very fond of her. Some of her things are from us, presents we got for her birthday specifically. If we find out you took them from her, I will be… _upset_. Personally, I would rather us not have an unfriendly relationship, because I assure you, I will find out."

Even as the mayor blustered at my obvious threat, Mrs. Christner nodded in understanding. "As long as they are not dangerous, I don't see that as a problem."

"They're not." I assured Dinah's aunt. "Lastly, Dinah's power. She struggles with it. Nightmares sometimes or severe migraines if she uses it too much. With that in mind, let Dinah chose how she wants to use it. Do not force her, do not demand she use it. Ask her, if you must, but don't force her."

"And what gives you the right dictate such things to us?" Mr. Christner asked, a frown marring his face and ignoring his wife's warning look.

"Nothing, except for my feelings for Dinah." I replied steadily. "This would probably be a good time to mention, I've killed eight men trying to win her freedom from Coil, including Coil himself. Not counting the ones I maimed or the other bodies we generated as a group. Adding more? We're not really bothered by that idea. I think you will be surprised by the level of commitment I have in regard to this."

Both adults in front of me paled slightly at my answer, delivered as easily as if I was talking about the weather.

"We fought hard to bring Dinah home, sacrificed much to do this. She loves you. Love her, respect her choices, and you will never have a problem with me, or any under my command. I'm not asking for much, just don't make me regret doing this. You have no idea how close we've gotten to her in the last month. Do not test me on this."

I looked to the teens behind the adults. They were only a few feet away, and judging by the looks on their faces, heard every word I said. "If you don't mind, we would like a moment to say goodbye."

I turned away, not waiting for them to respond. Once I was back among my friends, I said the inevitable words, "It's time."

Everyone nodded. Greg handed his rifle to Paige, taking a knee next to Dinah. "Alright short stuff, what's the golden rule we always have to remember?"

Even with her eyes watery, Dinah smiled. "Never bother a tinker while he's tinkering. Unless it's you, but only from a distance. Just in case you explode."

I chuckled with the others, as Greg rolled his eyes. "Well, yeah, but not that one, the other one."

"Um, 'Lead me not into temptation, for I can find it myself'?"

"There we go, and never forget, every great achievement in history, both by regular people and tinkers worldwide, started off by someone saying, 'Screw it, this will be so cool'. So, what does that tell us?"

"Always 'be cool'." Dinah promptly replied.

"That's the ticket." Greg muttered, as he wrapped his armored arms around the small girl.

Greg was replaced by Paige once she handed back his weapon. She took a moment to arrange the feathers sticking out of Dinah's hat before giving the girl a smile. "I burned a CD for you. Everything I ever wrote. I'll send you another when I get time to write more."

"Really? Did you get Uber to do the music for you?"

Paige's smile widened as she looked up at the thinker. "Yes I did. Kind of handy having access to my own one man band. Take care of yourself, Dinah. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." Dinah muttered, head buried in Paige's chest.

Paige swapped out with Rorrim. Unlike the rest of us, she was masked since she hadn't been outed yet. "I hope my own little one will be half as special as you are. Never forget, Dinah, you are the best of us."

We closed ranks, shielding her enough so she could tilt her mask up and give Dinah a kiss on the cheek after her hug. Behind us, the watching crowd shifted slightly, but no one made a move to interfere. Once Sharee had her mask back right, we moved away again.

Steve knelt down, putting his rifle on the ground beside him. "Finally, my turn. Okay Little Mint, we need to address the really important stuff. What did we learned from Zombie Apocalypse Four?

Dinah smiled widely. "The quiet zombie gets the brain."

"Right, so…"

"Always be suspicious of anything that opens, but doesn't have a bullet hole." All of us rolled our eyes at the pair. Not that we still didn't smile over them.

"You got it. Also…"

"When in doubt, double tap." Dinah reported seriously. "While ammo is precious, being a zombie would suck."

"Heh, You'll be fine, Little Mint." Steve muttered as he engulfed the girl. "Skills like that and you'll go far."

I swallowed thickly as I my turn came. I adjusted her top, making sure she looked smart. "Now that Uber is done corrupting you-" I ignored the cape's playful muttering at my comment. "-When do we get our homework done?"

"As soon as possible, so I can do fun stuff." Dinah replied bashfully. We'd caught her several times last week, trying to avoid doing her studies. Instead, sneaking off to practice her developing skills with the _Trident's_ interface.

"Right. What is appropriate for breakfast?"

Dinahs smile widened, as she snuck a look at Steve, before she answered. "Anything but Hot Pockets."

"Man, what is with the Hot Pocket hate?" Steve asked, but I ignored him again, keeping my focus on Dinah. I had to swallow to open my throat enough get my last question out.

"Where do we keep our Wish Relay?" I whispered.

At my question, Dinah raised her hands, clutching the little device hidden under her blouse. Like me, her eyes watered even thinking about it, but she answered in a steady voice. "Always close. Just in case I need it."

"Always close, that's right." I put my good arm around her, bringing her in close. Dinah's arms wrapping around me firmly, as her small frame shook.

"I will always be here for you." I whispered into her ear. "No matter what happens, I will always be there when you need me."

Dinah whispered back, "I-I don't want you to go..."

I nodded, pulling back slightly using my thumb to wipe her face clear. "I know, but… I'm too hurt, right now. Too _angry_, to stay. If I stay, I'm going to want revenge. I don't know if I will stop once I start. It's best if I put some distance between the heroes, and us. Rorrim will be staying in town, and you know she'll keep an eye on you, alright?"

Dinah nodded, still crying as I continued. "We'll see each other again, you'll see. Time to go, sweetheart. Time to be with your family again."

I rose, still holding Dinah's hand as I led her to her aunt and uncle. Both of whom looked welcoming to Dinah. I stopped in front of them again, silently giving Ms. Christner Dinah's hand. For a moment, I wasn't sure Dinah was going to let me go. She turned to me, biting her lip before throwing herself into me for one more hug. I selfishly enjoyed it before she slowly joined the others. The teenagers stepped forward, hugs were exchanged and quiet words spoken. Smiles, tears, and touches.

I turned away, not wanting to, but doing it anyways. This was the right thing to do, not just for Dinah, but for her family as well. I didn't have to like it, but I did have to accept it. Besides, we had company.

I knew when they arrived of course, a couple of minutes ago. They didn't interfere, which suited me fine, but now they couldn't be ignored.

Thirty feet away stood Miss Militia, Assault, Battery, and Dragon. Legend stood in front of them, and all of them were watching us, standing between us and our ship.

Uber and Leet closed ranks, taking positions at my sides. Paige and Sharee, just behind us. In our tight formation, we approached the heroes.

"Is there a particular reason you're in my way, _hero?_" I snarled, almost spitting his title.

Contrary to my tone, Legend's was calm. "I want to talk."

"Speak."

Legend looked at my teammates. Uber and Leet had their weapons pointed at the ground, but the barrels were still facing the heroes, ready to raise, their fingers on the triggers. While Siren and Rorrim hadn't drawn, both had hands on their own weapons. None of this was missed by those opposed to us.

"I was hoping we could have a civil discussion. I was informed you were generally accepting in that regard."

"Sorry, all out of civility. Hostility, now _that_ I have a lot of." I returned, but not as heatedly. I raised my hand, signaling at ease to my team. "But in the interest of curiosity, I can make an exception. What do you want?"

"That is my question to you, Matriarch. What do you want?"

I narrowed my eyes, remaining silent, thinking of the open meaning in that question. "To be left alone."

"As long as you are a villain, that is not something that can be guaranteed." Legend stated. "There will always be someone coming after you. Independent heroes, other villains looking to make a name for themselves by taking you out, like you took out Lung. After what you did to Leviathan, that is even more likely."

"You're probably right. A quick way to end a cape career, but you're probably right."

"Personally, I don't want that. That kind of fighting isn't going to be good for Brockton Bay, much less for its people. Right now, you have something going for you, that you are the first to kill an Endbringer. Doesn't matter how you did it, whether it was with your power or something you're team created, you still did it.

"Brockton Bay is on the map, in a huge way. Not sure if you had it done before or not, but that explosion in the bay finished what you started. Shipping being reopened. The first ship arrived with emergency supplies for the city yesterday. There is already talk of business coming back, or so I've been told. You would think it wouldn't be worth the investment, building factories or refitting old ones, but that is what I've been told is going on. People want products made in the city that not only survived an Endbringer, but hosted the first death of one. We can ask the Mayor, he's right there. He'll tell you the same thing, since he's the one who told me. All that could be lost if we are fighting each other."

I nodded, actually agreeing with him. "Then don't fight me, leave me alone."

"It doesn't work that way, Matriarch."

"Maybe not before, but it will today."

"I have a better thought, join us."

I actually laughed at him. "I would sooner kill you all, than join the Protectorate, much less the Wards."

I was the only one laughing. Beside me, Steve and Greg adjusted their rifles, stocks to their shoulders but barrels still downward. Behind us I felt Rorrim and Paige shuffle. It was their movements that allowed me to calm down, rein in the thoughts spinning through my mind.

I could see it clearly. Overload to disable Dragon for a few seconds, Assault needed energy to manipulate, but Battery standing next to him could solve that. She'd need to hit him with her power though.

Uber opens fire on Miss Militia forcing her to cover. Leet targets Dragon with the next Overload, Paige and Sharee make a run for the ship under cover of my bugs, maybe deploying drones and turrets. They'd at least be able to get behind the waist high cover offered by the benches to our left. Rush forward, stab Assault in the eye, shoot Battery in the head, then the three of could focus on Legend. Assuming his bullshit speed didn't stop us before I could pull off any of that, but I bet a face full of Japanese Hornets could distract him long enough to kill his team. If not, I had other bugs that were just as nasty.

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, letting go of those thoughts. In the silence around us, I could tell we were all on the edge of something really bad happening. I measured out my words, forcing myself to calmly address the heroes.

"You want me to subject myself to oversight of the PRT? To be a hero, Legend? Are you not proud of what you created? Are you so unsatisfied?"

My questions broke through his demeanor, casting his face in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"It means, you made me. Specifically, heroes made me what I am."

Again, Legend spoke for the group. "I don't understand that."

His confusion spread to everyone, except for Dragon. Her blank face turned directly to me. Reading synthetics is practically impossible to do with how they think, or more accurately to say, how fast they think, but Dragon used an emulation program to enhance her disguise. The clues were subtle, but there to the trained eye. It was that program that gave it away, she knew.

My smile was not a playful one, unless you considered my earlier thoughts, playful. "By now, unless you've been too busy glad handing the people, you should know about me. I'm sure every nuance of my past was delved through after the PRT talked to my dad. It stands to reason, you know about the locker. What you might not know, is that I was put in that locker, by Sophia Hess."

Legend frowned, the others grimaced. The two capes behind me though, jumped as if I goosed them with one of my bugs. "Oh yes, I've known who Shadow Stalker really is for some time. I know what you covered up, what she did to me, but here's the ironic part. It turns out that if you inflict enough pain on someone, hurt them enough, break them, you can turn a normal teenage girl, into a brutally scary _bitch_.

"I was trapped in that metal coffin for almost a whole day before I was found. My power rushing through me for the first time. So lost into my bugs that I almost lost _me_. Took me a week in a hospital before I could recover enough to understand what happened to me. And then, like other idiots on this planet, I realized, I was a cape, and I was going to be a hero. Spent months planning it all out, researching bugs, testing myself, learning how to control them, direct them, use them to overcome the more obvious advantages other capes had over me."

I raised my metal hand. Above my palm bees formed a double helix, slowly rotating like a hologram. The helix became a minute figure who started dancing, before it changed again, this time a double set of rings that flowed around my hand.

"I kept it quiet, of course. Embarrassed with my weakness. I didn't want revenge, I wanted to take this power and help people because I knew what it was like for no one to help me. No one did, until I met Sebastian. He wanted to kill them you know? When he found out. I caught him on a rooftop with a sniper rifle once. He was going to kill every single one of my tormentors because no one else was willing to do anything about them.

"I couldn't let him do it, of course. Made him promise not to. I wanted to be a hero, you know? Ironic, isn't it? How things work out. I even made these two promise not to do anything when they found out. You dont want to know what they had planned. Would have been better to just let Sebastian shoot them."

"That was not known-"

I cut Legend off. "It was known, and covered up. That was the day I learned the value, of a good high priced lawyer, but I digress. My point is, a Ward made me trigger. You heroes created me, but it was the things you did after that, which really showed me how much of an idiot I'd been.

"You see, I came up with a plan. Sebastian showed me his tech, and it hit me, we could reopen the bay. We could reopen shipping and find a way to entice business back to Brockton Bay. What would be more 'heroic' than that? Helping the masses with the one problem that underlined everything wrong in the city, the lack of jobs? If people had jobs, they wouldn't work for villains, could have honest work to feed their families, have a future. But to do it, I was going to have to cross lines. If you heroes were going to do it, you would have done so already, so that left you out. That meant villainy. Just so happens, I had an in with a group needing something almost as badly as we did. Told myself, just a little villainy, just one bank. It would be worth it, in the end."

I turned away from the heroes, looking at Dinah. Her sad eyes locked on mine, even as everyone else listened raptly. "Then, I found Dinah being held by her hair by that fucking merc. An innocent, being brutalized. Right there, in the middle of the damn street as if they couldn't give as shit they would be seen."

"Evidence found after Calvert's death supports her claim. He was trying to kidnap the girl. He was careful, but not careful enough to hide it from me." Dragon said lowly to the cape just barely loud enough for me to hear it.

I turned back to Legend. "I realized, reopening the bay wouldn't be enough. We needed to do some house cleaning first. If you weren't going to do it, I would. For Dinah, and every other person who ever had to go through half of what I did, only for people to turn their backs to it because it would inconvenience them. Sebastian agreed, it became our mission. And what was my thanks for stomping the ABB? For bringing down crime in the docks? You fucking sent an assassin after me."

"I can see where you would think that." Legend stated very clearly, each word calculated as only a public personality could manage. "I am willing to take responsibility for Ayres being brought on staff, but he was not acting under any official orders. Not from the PRT, nor from the Protectorate. We don't know who he was working for, or why he felt the need escalate the situation against you, but we are trying to find out."

"He did more than that. He crossed the line. He didn't just go after me, he went after my people. You know what my response to that was. Yet, even after all of that, Legend, after all of that I came to that Endbringer fight ready to do my part. To work with you to save this city. Willing to back you up, trusting you would do the same for us against our common enemy."

"What makes you so sure we didn't. You were congenial enough with Miss Militia before the attack. What changed?"

"My Sebastian, dead because Armsmaster, not just any hero, but a highly ranked one, broke the truce deciding Sebastian was too dangerous. That son of a bitch used an EMP to short out his armor leaving him defenseless! That motherfucker even left me to the wave. If I'd been there, had Armsmaster done what he was supposed to, maybe my Sebastian would have lived."

My body shook in my rage. Only Paige and Rorrim's hands steady on my back in silent support held me back. Reminding me that I could lose so much more if I didn't get control of my anger. "Now, because of the stupid hype over Leviathans death, you come here thinking to recruit me? After you took Sebastian from me? Not. Going. To. Fucking. Happen.

"What I want, Legend, what I _really_ want, is take Armsmaster somewhere quiet, and spend my time breaking him. I want to drown in his screams until the pain of losing Sebastian goes away. I want to burn the PRT to ashes for every single evil they have done in the name of the common good, my own hypocrisy be damned…

"You saw how far I was willing to go against Leviathan. How far do you think I'll go just to spite _you?_ Come after me or mine, Legend, and I will set you heroes to burn in an apocalyptic fire that will be seen from orbit." My rage filled words paused, as the imagery washed over me. "I actually like that thought… It has _weight_."

The heroes frowned grimly, body postures readied to attack. Another deep breath allowed me to calm down again, focus on Legend. "But that would be right at the top of things friends do not do to friends. That is what you ultimately want, isn't it Legend, to be friends? The way I see it, if we were friends, that would deescalate the situation. I'm sure more heroes means more to you than less heroes does to me. Peace, being preferable to how far I am willing to go to punish you for what you have done. Lucky for you, my friendship is for sale."

"You have my attention." Legend returned cautiously.

"You spent years maintaining the integrity of Downtown and the Boardwalk, but left the Docks to ruin. You keep doing what you know how to do, police those areas. The Docks will be neutral ground, and my people will enforce it. Keep the other villains away or punish those who try anything."

"You want carte blanche to commit crimes."

"You don't have the moral high ground any more, Legend." I reminded him pointedly.

"I can't authorize something like that, the PRT will never go for it."

"Probably not, but you can cover this up. That is something you heroes know how to do really well." I snarked. "Local heroes have proven they can't hold the whole city. What you have proven is that you are willing to work with just about anyone, to achieve means. This is the cost of my friendship. Leave my people alone, let them do what they need to do, and they will stay low profile. If not, you can have what is left of them after I am done. Communicate with each other, and deal with threats as they come, united. If it helps, think of us as rogues, with a shady past."

Legend seemed to ponder that for a moment.

"What will not help, is refusing my offer, and forcing me to release every single thing we know. Identities, past… indiscretions, or other unsavory details about what you heroes get up to that never makes the news. Even more damning than what I know personally, is what Coil knew. Of course, now I know those secrets. While I'm sure you could survive the backlash, the damage would be so extreme I bet I wouldn't have trouble finding the people to form an army to finish this, one way or the other."

Legend nodded slowly. "I am hearing what you get out of this, what do we get in return?"

"I will leave Brockton Bay."

My response caused everyone to jump, except for my people. Several gasped, others just stood there with stunned looks as I explained. "The Undersiders will manage my affairs, hold up our side of the bargain, and I will leave. I'm sure the PRT will only accept my unconditional surrender, either to jail, or into their service. Even if you take Leviathan out of the equation, the last thing they are going to want is me running around Brockton Bay, unchecked. But, I will not be a prisoner, or a slave to anyone. Especially to the PRT or the Protectorate. If I stay, one of you will do something I won't be able to ignore. Some upstart in the PRT will decide I need to be brought down, someone will go after me or mine, and I'll have to retaliate. Right now, that is the last thing you want me doing."

The silence between our groups stretched out for some time, as Legend mulled over my words. Eventually, he raised his hand, signaling the heroes to step back. Likewise, I placed my hand on Steve's rifle, lowering it more and bringing the stock away from his shoulder.

"With all due respect… you killed an Endbringer. I assure you, _no one _is coming after you, least of all some PRT bureaucrat, or even a high level agent. I'm speaking with Director Costa Brown's authority herself today."

"And yet, I found Ayres in the morgue trying to do something to my Sebastian's body. Once again, another hero breaks a truce that was supposed to be sacrosanct. The word of a hero couldn't personally assure me the sun will rise the next day. I don't trust your organization. But you? We'll see. Do we have an accord?"

"There are… details that will need to be addressed. Conditions to be ironed out."

I waved the others to board the ship, now that the heroes were out of the way. "Speak with Tattletale of the Undersiders. I doubt she'll be hard to find, if she isn't already waiting for your communique."

I turned away, staying at the rear of the pack as we walked away. My gaze fell on the nose of the ship, to where her name was. Steve painted over it this morning when I explained what I hoped to achieve with the heroes, and my plans going forward. Not that I expected them to show up tonight. I expected to have to arrange something later, but this worked out just as well.

I was humbled by how readily the gang jumped on my idea, by how much support they gave me. Seeing the new name for our home, brought it all back to me.

_Exiled._  
_We most emphatically do not come in peace._

"And Legend?"

"Yes, Matriarch?"

"Should anything happen to Dinah, I will come back to... discipline, the transgressor. Do make sure it's not a hero that I need to punish."

Legend was silent as I took the boarding ramp into my ship, Steve beside me. As the ramp started to close, I turned to him. "I like it. Fits."

"Thought you would." Steve returned, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "Stole it from a sig a guy was using on the forums. So, where we going?"

"Anywhere on the planet but here." I whispered.


	72. Epilogue

**Exiled Epilogue**

As I finished my story, I felt like a great weight had lifted from me. Even thinking back to that first year without Sebastian, didn't seem to hurt as much as it used to.

"Wait, that can't be all? What about the Protectorate? Or the PRT? what about the heroes or villains you talked about? What happened to them?"

I shrugged. "Wasn't my concern. Some died in Endbringer Events, some in street fights. The game kept going, but I didn't pay any attention to it. Brockton Bay became a beacon of stability, the jewel of the Protectorate. Even more so than New York. Tattletale did as I wanted, and the Undersiders became the under bosses of Brockton Bay, and incidentally the trouble shooters for the Protectorate. Business came back, shipping reopened, and things did reasonably well. Villains quickly learned there were easier targets for mayhem and left. Except for the smart ones, they got on board, when they saw which way the wind was blowing.

"The only thing that concerned me was whether Legend would uphold our truce, which he did. I've done some jobs for them from time to time, but only on my terms. For the first couple of years we did a lot of traveling, got into a few scrapes, mostly just going wherever we needed to go for whatever project we were doing at the time. Did some salvage work, collecting antiques and stuff. Steve called it 'Tomb Raiding'. Liked to call us the coolest thing since Indiana Jones."

"Okay, but, I don't understand about Sebastian. I've been sort of thinking he wasn't really gone, especially when you said he came here with you..."

A shadow fell over the table, barely intruding on my senses, as I wiped the tears from my eyes. It's creator answered before I could bring myself to.

"She lied. She does that from time to time. Man, aren't you paying attention? We're fucking _villains_." I looked up, seeing Steve standing beside me, looking concerned.

"I couldn't tell you this story, Annette, with you knowing what happened to him. To see you sitting there, hearing about the best moments in my life, knowing he died." I shook my head. "We wouldn't have gotten to the bank robbery before I chickened out and stopped coming to see you.

Steve shook his head as he watched me. "I can't believe you finally did it."

"Had to sometime, right?" I answered softly.

"Been a long time coming." Steve nodded seriously, transferring the six pack of beer in his hands to the table. He pulled one of the bottles out, cracking it open with the bottle opener that had become a sort of a keepsake of his. "Here, but don't get any ideas. I'm cutting you off after three. We don't want another Rio de Janeiro on our hands."

I smiled weakly at his comment, before I picked up the bottle. "I only did it once."

"Man, that was enough. Those guys were _pissed,_ before we managed to get your ass out of there. You trashed like, fifteen blocks that night, _solo_." Greg stated, as he flopped into the chair he dragged over, next to a very surprised Annette. A frosty sixpack of his own set on the table. His tone was joking, but his eyes told it different. "I don't think I'd ever seen anyone get a hit put on them as fast as we did from the Brazilians. They really liked that city."

"I'd say." A feminine voice added. Like the guys, Paige placed a chair at the table. I felt her hand rub my back as she settled next to me. "Understandable, it's not every day you see bugs doing the kind of crap she had them doing while she was chasing that guy. I think New Orleans has an easier time cleaning up after Mardi Gras. On the plus side, you couldn't tell she was drunk from the video that made the news. Well, unless you really looked at her bug clones and realized they weren't swaying on purpose, but that's kind of an inside thing we'd see."

"Guys," I started to say, when the last two joined us.

"Rio? Are you guys finally going to tell me what that was about? I've been dying to know for ages, but you keep avoiding the question. It was all over the news for weeks. Seriously, spill!"

I blinked, shocked to see one of our number here, of all places. "Dinah?"

"Taylor!" the girl squealed as she dived at me. Even though it wasn't that long ago since I'd last seen her, she'd grown a lot from the kid I rescued in the docks. It was as I was enfolded in her arms, that I realized she was now about the same age as I was when I got my start. Seeing Annette sitting across from me, stunned and surprised at all the people taking over the table, reminded me of the things I'd done back then.

Brockton Bay was lucky to still be standing.

Even as I pulled back I couldn't help but notice which earrings she chose today. My gang tag, cast in silver, a birthday gift I'd given her last year. "Dinah, what are you doing here? I explicitly remember that the terms of your probation stated you were not to leave the city without permission. I'm pretty sure that also means not leaving the planet or the dimension it's attached to."

Instead of being contrite, Dinah's eyes danced in mirth as she settled into the other chair next to me. "Details, small ones really. Besides, I'm the unofficial God Daughter of the fourth highest ranked group of villains that you absolutely do not want coming after you, _ever_. I'm fairly untouchable, especially after what you did to that guy who kidnapped and dragged me to Boulder last year. I'm actually surprised I stay in town as much as I do, considering. Besides, it's not like they _know_ you guys are Earth hopping, much less can. Rumor of the day has it you're still hiding out in the Brazilian rainforest, plotting your takeover of South America."

"Dude, we're number four now? Fucking sweet." Steve smiled as he clinked his beer with Gregs in celebration. "We should throw a party. Remember when we hit 'Big Ten'?"

Greg smiled as his eyes slightly glazed over. "Man, I _loved_ Santa Cruz. We should seriously go back, if only to see if they fixed the ferris wheel yet. Bet they never did figure out how we got it to change colors like that. Think they'd mind?"

"Well, the Slaughter House Nine are always going to be number one, pretty hard to top." Sharee stated as she settled in herself, like the rest of us ignoring Steve and Greg as they remembered the out of control party they threw to celebrate our being so notorious. "I doubt we'll ever see them fall considering who their core capes are, unless someone figures out how to kill them. As for the rest, you guys don't do random violence. Your shtick is more invisible background stuff, followed by occasional, over the top, _controlled_ violence. Seriously, its always a big deal when you guys come to town, but you're not nearly as active as the others. Not that you need to be, with your rep."

I turned to Dinah. "No changing the subject. Probation, specifically, yours. The Protectorate was very clear of the consequences of breaking it. My truce with them is shaky enough after that thing with Tagg. As much as I don't like Piggot, at least she's willing to work with me where you're concerned. Keeping her in office worked for us, but that's not going to help us any if she figures out you skipped town. You're the one who didn't want to join the Wards to get out of the armed robbery charges they had on you."

"It was just a liquor store, and a little one!" Dinah argued. "They acted like I was following in your footsteps and robbed Bay Central or something. The gun wasn't even tinkertech, much less loaded. I just wanted to get the PRT in place to stop that moron _Patriarch_ from treading on your name! No way I was letting that shit fly, like he was _your _fucking boss? Nope, _so_ not happening. Besides, Sharee and Tattletale helped!"

"Hey, don't bring me into this!" Sharee yelped, hands held up in front of her. "I was with Tattletale that we should have sent the Swarm to shoot him. _A lot_. You were the one who wanted to make a thing out of bringing him down publicly, as a way for the city to 'appease' Matriarch."

Dinah shrugged, unimpressed. "It worked didn't it? Did you _read_ the forums after it went down? Anyways, Taylor, you know as well as I do the only reason they put me on probation, was because I've been fighting them on the whole Wards thing. They really don't like me being a rogue, or paying my prices to use my power. Besides, there was only a thirty four percent chance they'd listen to me if I'd called it in. My way worked so much better."

"Not the point, Dinah. You're lucky Calle got the charges dropped as far as he did, considering what happened when that idiot did show up. We talked about this last month when I visited."

"No, the point is, _Rio_!" Dinah turned to Steve as I sputtered at her embarrassing topic change. "You brought it up, spill!"

"Actually, I find I'm rather curious about that myself." Annette contributed.

I turned to her in surprise. For a moment, I had completely forgotten she was here. I sagged, defeated, looking at Steve. He met my eyes, looking way too smug, as he took a long pull from the bottle in his hand. I reached up, my metallic fingers gently rubbing my eyes through my visor.

"Fine, tell her about Rio."

"_Yes!_"

I sighed, leaning into my chair, consigning myself to dealing with the, about to be aired story. As I took a sip from my own bottle, I looked around really noticing how much attention we were getting. Not that I was surprised. What did surprise me, was that someone hadn't kicked up a fuss yet, considering our group.

I'd caught more than one odd stare when I parked the Triumph. A young woman, dressed the way I was in boots, tight jeans and a short top in this area would have done it alone, had my share of looks before I showed up on a motorcycle. But that was without the metallic arm detailed in insects, like a huge full arm covering tattoo, openly displayed. The Paladin didn't look like any firearm in service on this planet, but it still looked like I had a gun strapped to my thigh. That didn't even include the knife sheathed at my back.

But this part of my story, it was too hard to talk about. Actually, I never talked about this. This was the one topic, no one _ever_ tried talking to me about. I've maimed people for less. I almost didn't come today, seriously thought about skipping it, forgetting about it all. But I did. Having my weapons helped, so I put them on figuring people would think I was going to a sci fi convention or something. Maybe on my way to Comic Con.

I'd seen some of those guys dress up in way weirder shit.

It worked, no one bothered me, aside from the stares or double takes as people noticed me. However, that was before my gang showed up. None of us were unarmed.

Steve had one of our pistols under his arm, knife at his side. Unlike Steve and me, Greg's sidearm was one of the ones that could compact. It sat at his right side, his own knife sticking out of his left boot. Sharee and Paige were packing similar, and even Dinah was armed. Not a sidearm or knife, but two foldable batons were sheathed at her hips. Then, of course, there was the fact not one of us had a fashion sense that a white collar would respect. Urban youth was the look we were all most comfortable with. Comfortable, stylish, but something you'd be willing to get dirty in. Not really a conscious decision on our part, but the white hats around us probably thought it was.

And here we all were, in the middle of a nice, respectable eatery among the upper middle class, drinking beer, and being loud, without a care in the world as Steve started telling a story of one of my more... well... _less_ than professional moments.

I almost snorted my beer at that thought.

"So, yeah, Rio." He started, setting the empty bottle to the side, cracking open a fresh one. "So, we just got done with that uranium heist in Ukraine right? Last thing Greg needed for the interdimensional transporter, and we're all freaking red lining. So Taylor decides, we deserve a break, suggests we take some shore leave. Decompress and shit. Great idea, Paige picked Rio."

"Hey, don't hate the culture just because you can't speak the language. Brazil has a lot of cool stuff to see, and you can't beat the music." The yellow haired cape returned as she stole his bottle opener. "Besides, I was still pissed we didn't have time to see the sights in Italy when we were there, but it wasn't like we could go back after what happened in Rome."

"Whoa, that was totally not my fault!" Greg said, as he pointed his beer at Paige.

She scoffed in return. "It was so your fault. You broke into the Popes sanctuary!"

"Did you see the access panel on his door? No way he wasn't hiding something in there."

"You set his hat on fire!"

"Hey, I got lost in my power trying to build a key that would let me in that tinker safe. I didn't even know I knocked over the stand until Steve shocked me!"

"The _room_ caught fire, Greg! We had to abandon the mission we were there for, because you went off script. Even with our Cloaks, there was no way we'd been able to finish, once the sprinklers kicked in. I didn't get to tour the Vatican for fun until we came here!"

"No, you don't to get away with pinning me for Rome, what about Cancun?"

"What? I gave it back!"

"After two days!"

"Anyways," Steve continued, ignoring the two arguing capes, as he looked between Annette and Dinah. "We set down, way outside the city limits. Spent most of the day doing the tourist thing, checking things out. Instead of relaxing though, Taylor gets more bummed out with each hour. About nightfall, she tells us she's going to go exploring. We didn't think anything about it, I mean, she can pretty much take care of herself, you know? Well, that lasted until a few hours later when we got the call."

The thinker turned to Annette as he explained. "See, we didn't know it, but Taylor's spent the whole day thinking about Shepard, he did his N training in Rio, something none of us knew until way later. Decides she's too hurt to remember, and that drinking herself into a stupor would be a _great _way to forget. Finds this seedy little bar, and starts throwing down shots like it's going out of style."

Eyes turned to me. Most in a sad understanding, though there were hints of mirth for those who knew where the story was going. Feeling a bit self conscious, I slunk in my chair muttering, "Just the one time."

Greg snorted. "Only because we wouldn't let you near a bottle again for months. You hold your liquor like a champ, but man, your anger issues. That shit doesn't mix like rum and coke."

I rolled my eyes at his comment, as Steve continued. "No shit. So yeah, the rest of us, we're all over the place now when Sharee calls. Tells us her powers worried about Matriarch. I mean, we freak. First thing we thought was, someone found out what we'd been doing for the last few months, and found us. Greg was closest to her and the rest of us started to head back to the ship."

"Man, why did I have to be closest? Seriously, I was so glad to get out of Rio by the end of this shit, you have no idea." Greg muttered to the amusement of the others.

"So, my man here finds the bar she's hold up in. Three mostly empty bottles of whatever the local equivalent of Jimmy, Jack, and Johnny is, keeping her company, right? She's completely shit faced, just staring at the bottles, blindly grabbing for them when Greg walks up to her, pays the tab, and starts to get her out of there. Then _he_ walked in."

"You never did pay me back for that." Greg added as he opened another bottle.

I raised an eyebrow at his comment. "Deal with it."

"Who walked in?" Annette asked Steve.

I answered, "Sebastian."

When Annette's face changed from confused to horrified, I clarified.

"It wasn't really him, but he looked so much like him. Even after I sobered up, and the guys showed me what happened, the resemblance was uncanny."

"Man, _I_ double taked seeing him" Greg agreed. "Motherfucker could have been his twin or something. All I remember thinking was, 'Oh _shit_'."

"Oh my, what did you do?" Annette asked.

I didn't answer, just started peeling the label from my bottle,. Steve did. "What do you think she did? She fucking _freaked_. Started screaming about capes with no respect for the dead, while yelling at Shepard for getting his dumb ass killed. But that was _nothing_ compared to when her bugs gathered.

"They. Were. Everywhere, and I mean _everywhere._ Six full city blocks of bugs so thick you couldn't see two feet in front of you. That didn't even include the clones she made, hundreds of them running around taking swings at people even as every insect in the area went about biting anything with a pulse. I'm talking real plague of locust, apocalypse, wrath of god shit. Spiders wove trip lines everywhere, sometimes riding with her bigger flyers and tying people up. I mean, you see shit like that dramatized in a movie, or on TV, but that is nothing compared to seeing Taylor handle business. The shear overmind intelligence she has over an area, even trashed like she was, _fuck man._ Not just around the bar either, but fucking everywhere her power reached, effecting everyone.

"Man, people _fled._ All out, leave everything behind, fucking _ran_ for it. I saw one guy trip another so the bug clone chasing him would have an easier target. The only one who wasn't getting ripped was that guy who looked like Shepard. Seeing the crazy shit going down, he took off, with _her_ on his heels. Screeching at him like a fucking harpy, about how stupid he was to fight Leviathan solo while interrogating him, wanting to know who was the dumb son of a bitch with a death wish that thought to use his face to get to her."

I tossed the torn label away. "Not my brightest moment." Chuckles answered me around the table. I smiled weakly. It was kind of funny now.

Greg picked up where Steve left off. "I had to break into an electronics store to get parts to build a nullifier to her power. We played with the idea before, trying to extend her range. Just went the other way so I could get to her. The swarm she had around her and that guy was too massive to get close too without it. Once I finally got it built, and found her again, I had to Neural Shock her. She was way too far gone to listen to anyone except that guy she was chasing, and that poor bastard was worthless when I tried to coach him in what to say.

"Not that it did any fucking good for the locals. Her power just kept running on the last directive she gave it. Hunt, trap, and capture every moving thing in her range. I let the others know so they could get the bugs in the ship secured, so it didn't cause us problems when we got her back. Dude, how long were we hiding out in Antarctica? Couple of days right?"

"Bout' that." Steve confirmed. "Frigid asshole of nowhere. Man, hated that place. Still, last place anyone would have found us, and no bugs for her to work with. Not a lot of places you can say that."

Greg nodded as he continued. "By the time I had her over my shoulder and started legging it to the pick up, she'd already incapacitated four local capes and dozens of cops. Never did find out how many got owned before we burned out of there. But really, what else was there to do? Had to do something to get her out before the bigger capes organized and came down on us. Man, they were already shitting bricks that Matriarch was in town and was fucking _pissed_, even if they didn't know why."

"Worst hangover, ever. And you wonder why I never paid you back." I half joked as I looked at my friends. Dinah smiled mischievously at finally knowing, Annette looked torn between pitying me for what brought it about, and laughter at my drunken antics. The others chuckled, but their eyes shown with understanding of how bad I was back then.

"What are you guys doing here? Seriously, I know you guys have things of your own to do."

Steve reached downward, the rustle of a paper bag sounding to his movements. "Shit, you got to ask?"

I turned to Paige, when she went back to rubbing my back. "No way we'd let you do this by yourself, not this part, you know?"

I looked around the table, at my friends, my family. I smiled thankfully as Dinah joined Paige in comforting me.

Silently, Steve brought up the contents he was rooting for, placing eight shot glasses on the table, and a bottle of strong liquor. I raised an eyebrow at it, especially considering the prior topic.

"You're good for one." He answered, contents of the bottle quickly making their way into the little glasses. "It's when you hang out with those three you get into trouble."

I smiled weakly, knowing what meant. "Same's probably been said about you guys."

"More often than not, yeah, bet it has, but we won't leave you hangin'."

He placed one glass in front of each of us, surprising Annette when he included her. In front of Dinah, Greg put a small bottle of apple cider. At her frown he shook his head, before nodding to the bottle.

I picked up mine with the others, Steve said the words, like he always did during the anniversary of that day, even if today wasn't that day. "To our fallen, Chatika and Shepard. Missed, but never forgotten."

The others repeated his statement, except me, I did drink when they did. I winced at the raw burn of the liquor, reaching for one of the two untouched glasses, Steve grabbing the other. Together, we poured the them on the ground beside us.

"You guys sure about this?" I asked as I set the glass down, looking each of them in the eyes. "Once this starts, there is no going back."

Steve snorted. "Been through too much to let you do this alone."

"Ditto." Greg agreed.

Sharee nodded. "Miguel and I talked about it, we're in. You're going to need someone to run things for you while you're doing the heavy stuff. Pretty much the same thing I've been doing for Tattletale. Only difference is, the level we're taking it to."

I turned to Paige to find her smiling. "We're going to have way too much fun. Just sayin'."

Finally, I looked at Dinah, but before I could open my mouth, she shook her head. "He might have been your boyfriend, but he was my friend too."

"It means leaving everything behind, and I mean _everything_, Dinah."

"Nothing I would have had without you guys. No, I'm in. This is my choice, I'm choosing to do this."

"Thank you all." I whispered, before my voice firmed up, decision made. "Alright, then we do this. Get your last minute things done, then load up. We get started tomorrow, 0600 sharp."

Everyone but Annette nodded, silent in their support, yet there beside me, like they always were. Slowly drinking their beers, stoic in the face of our remembrance, of the task ahead.

_XxXExiledXxX_

Vellius Numonion stared at the screen, baffled. Once the program reverified his own assessment, he once again opened the comm line.

"Unidentified craft. You have failed to transmit identification verification. Your IFF transponder is not recognized in our systems as expected. Identify yourself."

Again, the comm line was silent. Mandibles flexed in his irritation, before the line erupted into static that eventually cleared to voices.

"_Hey, I got it! Paige, hand me that spanner?"_

"_Little busy here putting out the fire you started!"_

"_For the love of puppies, Steve, tell me the comms working now? Preferably before someone starts shooting at us. Again!"_

Vellius narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand what was going on. A quick check of his systems showed there was no language issues with the translators and identified the speakers as Human. The language was odd, older than most on file. A check showed the translation was coming from one of Taran Aleion's files.

He growled seeing that. Taran was one of _those_ turians.

He pushed that aside, bringing his concentration back to the task at hand, now that the comms were working.

"_Um, a little help with the fire please?"_

"_Hey, can they hear us or not?"_

"Yes." Vellius interrupted the arguing humans. "I can."

The line quieted dramatically, before the authoritative female voice came back. "_Sorry about that Citadel Tower. We're having some equipment issues here, because _someone _needed the microwave to work. We are the ISS Exiled. Commander Alison Gunn speaking."_

Vellius ignored the grumbles in the background. "Understandable. You are humans, correct?"

"_Yes."_

"Very well. I will transfer you to Alliance Tower for verification and docking procedures. Do you require any assistance?"

"_No thank you, Citadel Tower. Just looking for a port to make some repairs, off load some salvage, and pick up some supplies."_

"Very well. Welcome to the Citadel, Commander."

"_Thank you, Citadel Tower. It's good to be home."_


	73. Cast and Crew Info and Authors Note

**Cast and Crew**

**Taylor Hebert:** (Cape Name: Matriarch) Caucasian, relatively tall, rail thin yet well toned to a point that shows she takes her physical fitness seriously. Taylor has long (just past her waist) dark, curly hair which she maintains as in a desperate grasp to maintain a single feminine feature. Her often times 'nerdy' appearance is marked with a wide mouth, and large eyes often times covered by a holographic visor to correct problems with her vision. Other distinguishing features are a scar along the left side of her face, a souvenir from an assassination attempt, and the artificial prosthetic she uses to replace her right arm, which was lost in an explosion trying to defend the Undersiders when she was 15. The arm plating is decorated in a wide variety of insect life found on her home planet, Earth. Taylor is 19 years old at the start of the Exiled, 20 at the start of Gatecrash.

_Parahuman Ability:_ Taylor's power is Master Class, that of controlling anything with a 'simple' brain, usually insects, which has become her theme. There is no 'upper limit' to how many she can control, only that they are within her powers range, which is 2000 feet at story's start. She has the ability to direct everything from the entire 'swarm' to each and every single insect simultaneously. Common uses she employs are 'bug clones' (human shaped groupings), 'tagging', (placing either one, or a few bugs on a person so she always knows where everyone is relative to herself, also used for aiming when she uses her weapons), or employing various abilities of the insects to suit the situation. (spider silk to trip, entrap, or distract targets.) She cannot 'see' or 'hear' through her bugs the way she normally does without crippling migraines, but she has learned how to get that information through them, using work arounds.

_Description:_ Taylor leads 'The Exiles', as they later styled, as well as being one of the two original founders of the group. Before her self exile from her home town of Brockton Bay, and later the planet of her birth, Taylor was often very quiet, shy, and generally tried her absolute best not to draw attention to herself. After her powers manifested, she met a young man named Sebastian Shepard. Shepard, encouraged the raw talents she held back, and provided a key element in helping her break out of her shell. In the span of two months, Taylor rose to prominence as the villain 'Matriarch'.

Matriarch's appearance marked the end of the Azn Bad Boys when she instigated the event that led to Lungs capture and imprisonment. Later, she defeated Bakuda, and by the end of that night, owned the ABB. Of which she only took certain elements that complemented her plans for the city, namely their territory in the area known as 'The Docks'. Sometime afterward she killed the villain Coil, when he refused to stop hunting Dinah, a young girl she saved from him. Complications from her war with Coil brought her head to head with the local heroes, namely the PRT and the Protectorate. Several attempts were made to stop her, however, they underestimated Taylor, and proved unable to stop her rise to power.

In the aftermath of the power plays in the city, the Endbringer, Leviathan, attacked Brockton Bay. Despite warnings from Dinah, Taylor's group went to help fight. In the ensuing clash, she fell victim to a heroes schemes and was injured, and her boyfriend Shepard was killed while trying to buy time for the survivors to regroup, and come up with a plan to defeat or drive off the Endbringer, likewise caught in the same treachery that caused Taylor's injuries. Her emotional turmoil over losing Shepard sent her after Leviathan in a final act of spite, activating untested, barely understood tinkertech, uncaring that it would kill her. Instead, she survived, and managed to be the first to kill an Endbringer, sending her reputation soaring.

Taylor finally returned Dinah to her family, before making a deal with the local heroes to guarantee something positive came out of the ashes that she felt was her life. In exile, Taylor only ever returned to Brockton Bay as Matriarch four times, each to kill a cape who had thought to attack Dinah, or use her in some way for her abilities. As Taylor, she only ever went back to be around Dinah, usually on her birthday. As Matriarch, she was seen many times around the world, mostly in combat, and rarely were there any survivors to give accounts of her actions. Those accounts always exemplified the phrase most often associated with her. 'Do _not_ fuck with Matriarch'. Taylor spent two years leading The Exiled, before committing herself to the idea of rejoining Shepard. This time, in his home dimension, where she secretly hopes, she'll be able to stop whatever it was that sent him to Earth Bet in the first place.

**Steven Baker****:** (Cape Name: Uber) Steve (preferred address) is described as a tall young man with a sculpted physique and broad shoulders. Caucasian, brown eyes, with a rather 'average' looking face who prefers to wear his hair as short as possible, without being shaved so as to not be a bother since he hates wasting time brushing his dirty blond hair. When not in armor, Steve has a fondness for artfully ripped jeans and shirts hosting his favorite video game titles, slogans, or quips. Steve is 23 years old at the start of the story.

_Parahuman Ability:_ Steve's power class is that of a Thinker. Steve can gain any skill, for one hour (he has proven he can go longer, but usually at some cost to himself), and use it as he sees fit. This covers skills such as piloting a spaceship, car, sword fighting, hand to hand, to more mundane skills like dentistry, sewing, or playing a musical instrument. Steve often runs through preset skill configurations in combat to achieve certain actions or to deal with situations that come up. His favorites being various martial arts.

_Description:_ Steve, a self professed video game addict, took to villainy even before he gained powers. In retaliation for the sexual assault and murder of his younger sister, Steve sought out the man who did it, only to find it was a hero. Disgusted that no one would take his evidence seriously, Steve plotted to take matters into his own hands with the help of his best friend Greg, and succeed in murdering the hero, Tonic. The confrontation led to Steve's own trigger event, and subsequently, his later life of crime.

Where most villains took to a certain look or theme, Steve and Greg didn't. In an effort to balance the need for money for their projects and fun, they built and maintained an online website dedicated to their exploits. For a fee, subscribers could view footage of their crimes, as well as their cape antics. Premium subscribers even had live stream access. Innovative, but not very successful as the two of them were always more focused on having fun, than actually getting away with anything. They surfed along in the midstream rankings until they tried to double cross Matriarch during a trade deal, only to get smacked down hard for it. When Greg discovered Matriarch was robbing Bay Central, they dressed up and intervened, only to be evaded. This lead event led to Matriarch finding their hideout later that day, and press ganging them into her service, or be killed.

After Dinah was rescued, Steve had a change of heart toward the villains he found himself working for. Especially after seeing the condition that Matriarch found Dinah in, and hearing how she was going to stop the man chasing her. Dinah reminded him of his sister, a loss he never got over. Steve often calls Dinah 'Little Mint', the same nickname he used to call his younger sister. Steve dedicated himself to the project, learning from Shepard, and eventually closing his website.

After Shepard's death, Steve took it upon himself to be The Exiles XO. A job he takes seriously. He always defers to Taylor when she set's her mind though offers his opinion, asked or not. Steve often jokes, making light of serious situations, or finds ways to liven up the mood of those around him. Preferring a laid back atmosphere, to a strict or depressing one.

**Greg Richardson:** (Cape Name: Leet) Greg is scrawny, with dark eyes and dark hair which he prefers just a bit on the long side. (Halfway to his shoulders) Greg wears glasses, but has a visor similar to Taylor's, which he made himself. However, he only wears it when he's tinkering so he can record everything he sees in an attempt to counter one of his powers drawbacks, the blackouts. The rest of the time, Greg wears regular wire framed glasses to correct his vision. Greg is 23 years old at the start of the story.

_Parahuman Ability:_ Greg is a Tinker. While most tinkers find specialties for which they excel, Greg can build anything with his power, but only once from scratch without the risk of something going wrong. He has learned that if he has blueprints, he can repeatedly build anything they detail, but he is handicapped by blacking out every time he uses his power. While his body and mind are under his powers influence, he remains unaware and never remembers anything from during that time. To work around this issue, Atlas constantly monitors him, and he wears a special visor that records everything he see's when he's tinkering. Steve and Atlas then tryto create blueprints, based on this footage, though only a handful of successes have been made to create 'proven' tech while the files of 'to be researched more thoroughly' grows. However, this never stopped any of crew from using the first gen model until they break.

Before joining the crew, Greg often had issues with his power resulting in catastrophic failure, usually at the worst possible time. Since then, Greg's power has stabilized but all equipment is still double, and sometimes triple, checked by Steve or Taylor, and tested, before considered 'field worthy'.

_Description:_ Greg's home life before his trigger was very stressful. An embittered alcoholic father being his only support until he became friends with Steve and unofficially adopted Steve's family as his own. When Steve's sister was killed, Greg wanted nothing more than to help his preferred family, resulting in his trigger. Something he didn't even know happened until Steve found him dismantling his game systems for parts for a device that would let them find Tonic. Eventually, they succeeded in cornering and capturing Tonic by making him think he succeeded in capturing another victim for his desires, only to find out it was a tinker doll which incapacitated him long enough for the duo to arrive and murder him.

Laid back and easygoing are traits Greg exemplifies. He enjoys video games, though not as much as Steve, and recreating them in the real world. After being pressed into service working for Matriarch, he's the first to willingly want what is offered. Shepard takes him under his wing teaching him the secrets of Mass Effect technology, and under Shepherds tutelage, Greg gains a stronger connection to his power, and a willingness to explore his budding skills.

Greg thinks of himself as the 'Chief Engineer' on the Exiled, although if asked he'll tell anyone Taylor is far better than he is. While not fond of fighting, Greg does like the challenges combat presents, and will always be found front lines with Uber and Matriarch using whatever tinkertech he the thinks will suit the situation.

**Miguel Marino:** (Alias: Gunny) Miguel has the classical 'weight lifters' build. Heavily muscular, but not overdone to the point of being ridiculous or that suggests he didn't 'earn' his physique. Dark hair which he wears 'high and tight'. Gunny's spanish ancestry is easily noted in his features and dusky skin tone, offset by bright hazel eyes. Miguel is the oldest at 28 at the start of the story.

_Parahuman Ability:_ Though born on Earth Bet, Miguel never manifested any parahuman ability.

_Description:_ Miguel, often called Gunny in honor of his days in the United States Marine CORPS, came to Brockton Bay only a few months before the start of Exiled. Months earlier, while serving a tour overseas, Miguel's wife and son were killed by the Slaughterhouse Nine during one of their rampages. Angry at himself for not being there to protect them, Miguel never returns to his home city. After months of wandering and drinking away his sorrows, he attempts to do something constructive with his life. Rumors of Matriarchs war with the cities villains reach him, which gives him the idea to track down the illusive Matriarch in hopes of joining her gang. He eventually succeeds, and with Shepard's guidance, remembers who he was before he lost his family. After Shepard's death, Miguel ends up working for Sharee, helping the Undersiders maintain the neutrality of the Docks, least Matriarch feel the need to do so herself.

When he learns of the plan to save Shepard, Miguel invites himself along.

**Sharee Rockford:** (Cape Name: Rorrim) Sharee has very fair skin to the point of she can be considered pale, topped with straight blond hair she prefers short, (shoulder length) and icy blue eyes which some have called piercing. Sharee is slightly overweight, a fact she tries to conceal by preferring looser garments. The second oldest of the crew at 25 years old at the start of the story.

_Parahuman Ability:_ Like Steve, Sharee is a thinker. However, Sharee's power differs, where Steve gains mastery knowledge of skills, Sharee's power manifests as her reflection, which she privately calls, Amy. The manifestation however, can only be seen by Sharee, and is sapient, to a small degree. When given directions, such as 'I want to know what Alex is doing', Amy will 'walk out of the mirror' returning minutes later to report what she saw, while also noting anything that happened to catch her attention, usually in a way that improves or heightens Sharee's mood, or just for general amusement. Since her trigger at 13, Sharee has never seen her own reflection, only Amy. Her range covers anything she inhabits, whether that is a planet, or a spaceship, but cannot cross the 'void' threshold that is space. During Sharee's years as Tattletales assistant, absolutely nothing ever stopped Amy from gathering intel, not even stranger powers. Not even Dark Energy has blocked her power, though 'Amy' complains when she has to go near a biotic, often times going 'asleep' for a time. Sharee has a special mirror, just for Amy, which she uses the most, though any and all reflective surfaces work.

_Description:_ Before her life as a villain, Sharee was a dedicated college student at Bay University, studying psychology. No history of prior criminal behavior, not even attending a college party that got out of hand. However, her life was complicated by mounting debts and an extremely limited income, which eventually got to be too much for her. Faced with having to drop out of college, or lose her apartment for being unable to pay her bills, Sharee accepts the offer to work for Matriarch when it comes.

Originally hired on as an 'information gatherer', Sharee is surprised to discover the villains she signed up with were working to bring down Coil and reopen the cities shipping industry. She is further surprised to find Dinah at the heart of their endeavors, and quickly becomes attached to the very likeable young cape which brings her deeper into the fold. Not long after Sharee joins the crew, she discovers she is pregnant with Alex. Sharee is further surprised when the team rallies around her, making sure she has everything she needs, no matter if it is baby needs and doctors appointments, or a high priced defense lawyer. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly to Sharee, Alex's father refused to accept responsibility, and has had no part in his life.

Not a fighter by any means, Sharee set herself as the crews 'catch all'. Usually attending the little details that get missed but required for day to day operations. After the Endbringer Event, Sharee worked for the Undersiders, specifically Tattletale, helping keep the peace by using her power to find threats before they could happen, often complimenting Tattletales power. Usual methods included blackmail, planning preemptive strikes, or most often, acting as the Undersiders go between with the local Protectorate. Despite her separation from the crew during their years as nomadic villains, Sharee maintained close ties with them, even volunteering to join them in their mission to save Shepard, and to provide a higher class of life for her son than she expects to be able to as a villain.

**Paige Mcabee:** (Cape Name: Siren) The most distinguishing feature Paige has, is her straight, very bright, yellow hair, (worn just past her shoulders) and feathers of the same hue. Paige clips some of them, dyeing the ones she keeps different colors depending on her mood, with the tips usually dyed dip dyed a different color, making her the most recognizable member of the crew. Paige takes great care of her appearance, always wears makeup that accentuates her sharp facial features, and prefers tight clothing in bright colors. Paige is 24 years old at the start of the story.

_Parahuman Ability:_ Paige is the second Master Class cape on the crew, but unlike Taylor, Paige controls humans. Her power enhances her singing voice as well, a fact Paige has exploited a great deal in her career as an entertainer. Those who listen to her sing become suggestible, and will follow the directions she gives them, no matter what that might be. Paige rarely employs this part of her power, preferring to use it to stimulate emotions to enhance her performances, due to the trouble it caused her in the past. She will, however, use it to further the goals of the crew, but she is not fond of doing so. So far she can only affect humans with her power.

_Description: _Paige is the only cape on the crew who did not acquire her power 'honestly'. Rumors of a man calling himself 'The Dealer' reached her during a low point in her life. Not seeing any chance to improve her lot with the way things were going, Paige paid the fee The Dealer asked and bought her powers. Aside from the side effect of feathers growing amidst her hair, Paige was pleased with her ability to stimulate emotional responses in people through her singing and became the rogue, Canary. A fact that did not see light until well into the crews wanderings, not that it changed their view of her in anyway.

As Canary, Paige almost reached the point of signing her very own record label when tragedy struck, that of losing control of her temper with an ex boyfriend who wouldn't leave her alone. A careless remark, of 'Go fuck yourself!', after a performance resulted in the young man emasculating himself, trying to carry out the direction Paige's power enforced. Paige was incarcerated, tried, and convicted of sexual assault with a parahuman ability, and sentenced to the Birdcage for life. Paige was rescued by Steve, Greg, and Shepard before her incarceration when they broke the transit that carried her and the parahuman Lung.

After Taylor explained what they crew was trying to do in Brockton Bay, Paige signed on whole heartedly, often using her power in small ways helping Sharee gather intel and renaming herself, Siren. After the explosion on the forums over her escape, and once word spread of her new cape name, she was often referenced as 'Siren the Enslaver' despite the fact there was only one instance she ever purposefully used her powers to take control of people for more than a few minutes, a situation in Cancun that Greg often brings up when she reminds him of a mistake he made in Rome.

Paige has a love of art, cultures, languages, and entertainment in all forms, and is even less a fighter than Sharee due to being unable to stand the sight of blood without being ill. During her time with the Exiled after Shepard's passing, Paige took on the role of infiltrator, using a tactical cloak and her voice to get into places to find information normally out of reach. Paige is flirty, a firm believer in the better side of people, and tries to be the life of the crew, often attempting to encourage her interests in the others.

**Dinah Alcott****:** (Cape Name: Vates) Dinah has straight dark-brown hair worn long similar to Taylor, but falls only to the small of her back and brown eyes. Unlike Taylor, Dinah often prefers to have her hair tied mid way and wears headbands to keep it off from her face. Prominent cheekbones give her an almost 'aristocratic' appearance, which she cultivates with makeup, and offsets with her clothing choices. Those being a combination of comfort and style.

_Parahuman Ability:_ Dinah's power mostly works through percentages. The 'numbers', as she refers to them, represent the probability of an action or choice being taken. She also suffers 'visions', most of the time while asleep, where instead of just numbers, she can actually experience that possible future. The experience is full, smell, taste, sight, hearing, touch, and usually involving someone she has a personal connection to. Since her trigger at 11, Dinah has learned that while she can predict the future, it is not infallible, and that there are dangers to trying to 'steer' events, something she does when she feels she has to, but avoids if she can.

Dark energy counters Dinah's ability, creating what she refers to as 'the void'. Her power still works, but she is unable to get any information from the experience. Over the years, Dinah has managed to break through this limitation, sometimes suffering crippling migraines for days with nothing to show for it, but at best, being able to hear or see fragments of what she sought. The closer she is emotionally to the subject, the easier it is for her to do, though the backlash remains the same.

_Description:_ When Dinah was 11 years old, and barely a month after her powers manifested, she had a vision of her parents being murdered, and her capture. The vision detailed a life as Coil's prisoner where she was drugged, and kept drugged to keep her docile, pliable, while also allowing her to handle using her power on a regular basis. She ran away from home, not knowing when it would happen, hoping to spare her parents the fate that awaited them. This proved to be unsuccessful. Dinah was on the run for just over two days, making her way through the city trying to get to a place she only knew of as 'The Void'. A blind spot where her power didn't work right, and to her hope, would also hide her from Coil.

After Matriarch rescues her, Dinah finds herself surrounded by the most unlikely, and unconventional, villains in the city. Each of them taking time from their day to hang out with her, encourage or help her in her studies, as well as protecting her from Coil while trying to preserve whatever was left of her innocence. Dinah very quickly grows attached to her new surrogate family, as they likewise grow attached to her.

In the years after Shepard's passing, she lived with her Aunt and Uncle in Brockton Bay as a rogue. While she made friends, Dinah remained aloof, never letting anyone close to her. Not even her Aunt, Uncle, or cousins due to their instance she give up her rogue life, and become a hero. Dinah charged substantial amounts for people to ask her power questions, including the Protectorate and PRT, though during important events, she offered her power freely. None the less, as time passed Dinah grew dissatisfied with the pressure from her Uncle, PRT, and Protectorate to join the Wards. Eventually leading her holding up a liquor store in an attempt to stop a new local villain (Patriarch) from treading on Taylor's reputation by playing on her cape name. The resulting standoff that Patriarch found himself in, resulted in a lot of wounded PRT personal, Patriarch in jail, and Dinah arrested. The social backlash when information was leaked by Sharee and Tattletale, along with her defense lawyer, resulted in her only getting probation. Although speculation was rife with thoughts that 'Matriarch' would burn the city down when she found out about Dinah's arrest, the Exiled never appeared over the city, though Matriarch was seen in the Docks the following day. When Dinah learns of Taylor's plans to leave behind everything to go help Shepard, Dinah officially joins the crew, and rejoining her 'family'.

**Atlas****:**Atlas was once one of Andrew Richter's artificial intelligence programs but was 'retired' because he continued to question Richter's directions, being curious as to the motives of his 'father'. Atlas has no real physical appearance, though when necessary or asked to present one, prefers the image of a large herculean beetle, honoring Taylor for freeing and accepting him. He prefers a voice print of hundreds of people speaking at once. A fact that only Taylor knows is that it is really Sebastian's voice multiplied in that manner. Often this causes various crew members (mostly Steve) to be uncomfortable, though everyone is pretty sure he uses it to get that reaction.

_Parahuman Ability: _Atlas has shown no parahuman ability, though since Dragon, his 'sister' AI, gained one, it is not out of the realm of possibility Atlas might. As such, the crew keep a look out, just in case.

**Chatika: **Chatika was originally a VI program given greater and greater programming freedoms in order to maintain and manage all the various systems and needs of Taylor and Shepard. Shepard included large quantities of programming scripts from E.D.I.s code, geth, and quarians from before he found himself on Earth Bet. However, it was not until Chatika attempted to resist Dragons hacking attempts during the Bay Central Bank robbery that her status changed. Chatika realized that Dragon was an AI and far beyond her own capabilities. Chatika allowed Dragon to burn through her firewalls far enough into her servers to steal a portion of Dragons programming, updating herself with it after her server was repaired. Chatika served as the teams main source of information, often using her advance hacking algorithms to infiltrate various news sources, agencies, and satellites to obtain it. In addition, she managed almost all of the fabrication need.

Chatika sacrificed herself during the Endbringer event, being unwilling to upload her self and risk the teams technology, or her own code, to fall into the wrong hands, as had happened when Richter was killed and Saint found his tech. She used the thermal reactor in the teams base to create an explosion that also cleared enough space that Brockton Bay's shipping industry was able to resume after the battle.

*****Authors Notes**

Oh man, this has been one hell of a ride for me. Exiled originally started off as an idea between Materia-Blade and myself that took on a life of its own. That of a cross over that would eventually, cross back. Exiled was written as the prelude to the original concept, which has started with Gatecrash. While reception on FanFiction has been weak, the entire story was developed and posted on Spacebattles where the readership was much more involved. As the readership here may have noticed, there are several questions from the story that were never answered, but that was intentional. Those questions get answered later, as the story continues. The main question of Shepard's deaging as well as how he came to Earth Bet, being the principle one.

As Exiled is concluded here on FanFiction, I will note that Gatecrash is going to go up soon. At the time of this post I am already half way through the third arc and it is still going strong. Hopefully I'll be caught up soon and events will move to where I post on both sites the same day.

Finally, for the new additions to the readership, I hope you have enjoyed the story. Feel free to read and review and I hope the story was as much of a joy to read, as it was for me to write.


	74. Omakes and Quips

**Omake –Phonebooth- by Wzk**

'Well, kid's pretty pissed off at me, although I don't know why. Best be following along with whatever she's planning...' Shepard thought to himself.

"Do you have any change?" She asked.

'Funny, I thought emergency services are free, even back in this barbaric alternate universe?' Shepard mused, 'better hint it instead of outright point it out'. "You have to pay to use the comms?"

"Yes. Quarters? Nickels? Anything?" She followed up

'Oh boy, there's that twitch in the eye again... And... crap. I don't have quarters.' "Nope. Does it take twenties?" 'Because I got nothing but twenties. And hundreds. And hundreds of hundreds'...

*later*

'Idea! This primitive comms takes in a solid object as payment... so there's bound to be a collection tray somewhere inside its structure...

*crunch*

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

OOooooooo... Pretty...

*ahem* well, that solves this problem' Shepard thought, and then said "There's a lot in here."

'...And now she's angrier than before. I wonder what I did.'

**Omake –Go for the Optics- by Wzk**

Uber: Alright, alright! You win!

Renegade: Really?

Uber: Yea, just let us go.

Renegade: Oh? Matriarch what do you think?

Matriarch!Taylor: I... don't know.

Renegade: But I do. Chatika? Go for the optics!

Uber: AIEEEEE!

**Omake –No Shotguns- by koolerkid, Dreitus, and Swarmer31857**

...Am I the only one who is seeing Taylor like the responsible big sister in this relationship?

Taylor: No shotguns.  
Shepard: But Taaaaaaylor!  
Taylor: I said no!  
Shepard: Awww...

*running away from Oni Lee*  
Shepard: Boy, it sure would be nice if we had some _shotguns_ don'tcha think?

Taylor: A shotgun would be about as much use as a slingshot against Oni Lee; you'd just hit a duplicate.

Shepard: But I hear it's the Cape version of 'Whack a Mole. You're no fun at all!

**Swarmer31857 quip**

"Easy there Matriarch. You don't want to wind up with another 'Twitchy'."  
"Bite me Renegade. What are we going to call the guy you're stepping on, 'Half-Baked'?"

Query quip

_The British Isles vanish in a flash of golden light._  
"Scion is attacking everyone!"

_Shepherd sighs._  
"Just three years, would it have been so hard to have no extinction level threats for just three bloody years?"

**Omake –Loyalty Missions- by Query**

Loyalty is very important in the life of Sebastien Shepard in fact some people say its the most important thing in the world.

"Sebastian what are you doing!"

_Shepard looks at Taylor confused._

"What did it look like? I was helping Fortuna reconnect with her uncle in order to solidify her loyalty."

"Wha-Shepard Scion is out there killing people!"

"I am fully aware of that Matriarch but if you're asking me to go on a suicide mission without a fully loyal team, then you're asking me to fail."

"That is completely insa-"

_Contessa enters the room instead of being dressed in her usual suit and fedora she is wearing a skintight leotard with numerous dark armor panels._

"Thank you Commander."  
_Contessa kisses Shepard on the cheek before swiftly leaving the room._

"Wha-wha-what was that!"

_Shepard turns to Taylor and gives her a shit eating grin._

"Loyalty missions."

**Omake –BEEEEEEEEES!- by Wzk**

A: Coil is sitting in his car, ordering people into the apartment to flush Matriarch out.  
B: Coil is leading the charge into the apartment to flush Matriarch out.

A: _*SURPRISE DRIVEBY SHEPARD!* KABOOOM*_ Coil is bleeding to death on the floor of his suddenly roofless car.  
A should have been: Coil is sitting in his car, thinking of how to flush Matriarch out..  
B: Coil is STILL leading the charge into the apartment to flush Matriarch out, not noticing what happened in (A)

A: Coil: "what the hell am I doing in the other timeline? _*cough*_"  
A should have been: Coil is sitting in his car, ordering snipers into position while thinking of what to say..  
B: Coil has just cornered Matriarch at large losses of life, and is preparing an ultimatum.

A: Coil: 'I am bleeding, I am dying I think. I should collapse the other timeline, no matter how crappy that is. Ok, here we go.'  
A should have been: Coil is sitting in his car, observing the horror that is Timeline (B)..  
B: Coil JUST GOT BEEEEEEES!'ed.

Timeline B collapses.

A: _*cough cough*_ The _*cough*_ FUCK?! _*bleeds*_

**Stormlord Quip**

Coil A: *walks through doorway, and a (literal) ton of critters drops from the ceiling and buries crushes him*  
Coil B: "Men, avoid that room. I think the ceiling is unstable..."

**Omake –Blue Screen- Wzk and TomaO2**

Predictive Shard has encountered an exception error  
0x00210 - unpredictable element in play.

Please remove the cause of the error and reboot the power.  
If that does not work, please contact your nearest Administrator Shard for a fresh new compile and Trigger.

Have a nice day.

Admin Shard: Yo. What can I do for you.

Timeline Shard: Hey there. Um, look, I'm having troubles with my power and I was told to contact my local administrator...

Admin: Wait. There are others?

Timeline: Huh? Oh no, that's just an expression. Anyway I was told to contact the administrator shard to fix things?

Admin: Oh, OH yea, I know what the issue is. You got in range of an Eezo node. Nasty things those. I haven't some across something so outside our understanding in millennia. Really fascinating problem we got.

Timeline: But you can fix it right?

Admin: Sure, I've finally gotten my hands on the raw undiluted stuff an hour ago and am in the process of analysing it. Along with the work I've already managed due to some weird transfusions that the anomaly made to my host, I'll likely have a solution ready in a day or so.

Timeline: While that sounds great and all, could you possibly speed it up a touch? I rather like my host and was hoping I could live with him a bit longer. At this rate, he likely won't survive.

Admin: Well, I could come up with a quick patch job that could give you SOME capability... but my host really doesn't want me to help you out, since she's trying to kill him. To be honest, I'm probably not going to be getting you the fix while you are still inside him anyway. We are, after all, official enemies now that he went and shot my host's partner, who is also someone I really want to stay alive, so I can analyze this Eezo better.

Timeline: Fair enough, if those are my options I guess I'll just move on, this Eezo fix seems too important to keep going without. Guess my host will have to die.

Sucks to be him.

**Shinzero02 quip**

Tinker Shard: What the hell, I go to sleep one day and he's dealing with an element that breaks physics, and far more willing to take risks because of it.  
Queen Administrator: You're Welcome. Now help me figure out how to make these 'Collectors' my host received memories of. Even if you don't biotinker, I know you can make a machine that does.

**Omake –Look what I made!- Wzk**

Uber: Ok what's the occasion?

Matriarch: and what's with the blindfolds? This is getting a bit tedious...

Leet: Ah ah! I saw that! Don't cheat with your bugs, we're almost there anyways.

Uber: Right.

Matriarch: I swear, if I run into a wall, I am going to feed you roaches until the next week.

Leet: And here we are. Remove your blindfolds.

All: ... ...

Uber: Oh wow.

Matriarch: Oh shit.

Leet: It is my greatest creation yet!

Matriarch: Oh _SHIT_! Where's Shepard!?

Leet: And I call it...

Renegade _*walking in*_ : What's up, guys? What are you all ..._REAPER_!

Matriarch: FUCK! _TAKE COVER!_

_*cue explosions. Lots and lots of seriously awesome explosions*_

Renegade *standing over the corpse of a newly destroyed new Reaper* : So, you made a Reaper.

Leet: My best creation! Ruined! _*sobbing*_

Renegade: But what I don't get is this: Reapers are usually made of a condensed, blended bio-material of _PEOPLE_. It usually takes an _entire planetary _population just to make a _Dreadnought_-grade Reaper. And given this one's size, you'll probably need a city's people to make it.

Matriarch: _*gasp*_

Uber: ...

Leet: I can't ever make it again!_*still sobbing*_

Renegade: So, the million dollar question is, where did you get _all the BODIES _to make this Reaper?

Matriarch: _*horrified whisper* _... he couldn't have...

Uber: ...

Leet: _*still sobbing and dead to the world*_

Renegade: WELL? _*Grabs Leet and hefts him up, shouting into his face*_ WHERE did you _get _all those _BODIES_ !? Did you _MURDER _and _PROCESS _all these people just to have the required goop?!

Leet: _*STILL sobbing, but also terrified*_

Uber: Erm... can I answer that for him?

Renegade: _*Drops Leet, cocks shotgun* _... this has better be good.

Uber: _*gulp*_ Well...

Renegade:_ Well?_

Uber: We... kinda got it from... from, well, _you_.

Renegade: Huh?

Matriarch: Huh?

Uber: First up, you have a tendency to create bloody trails of bodies behind you every time you leave this lair... Every single time.

Renegade: This... I...

Matriarch: Yeah, he does that.

Uber: And we have to clean up after you, Every Single Time.

Renegade: But... a Reaper... this Reaper... requires...

Matriarch: _*gets it. Facepalms*_

Uber: And one fine day, while lugging bodies to the incinerator, an overworked thing we have to _constantly _repair just to barely get by, Leet suddenly had a brainstorm.

Renegade: I don't 'create' these many bodies, do I?

Matriarch: I can believe it. Last I heard, the local gangs have to import clueless minions forcefully from their out-of-town branches just to keep up their numbers. Sort of a reverse slave trade.

Renegade: Seriously?

Uber: Yea, I heard rumors about that.

Matriarch: Seriously.

Uber: The scary thing? This Reaper? _It only took __two months __to distill enough bio-mass to make it_.

Renegade: Man, I mean, That has got to be around ten thousand bodies, at the very least. Seriously?

All: _YES!_

Renegade: But... I don't kill that much, do I?

Uber: ...

Leet: ...

Matriarch: That's it. I'm going to find murder-hobo anonymous and enroll you into it.

Renegade: Awww...

**Omake –Murderious Hobo's Anonymous- Candymancer, DropBear, Another Day**

Renegade: "Um... Hello, everyone. My name is Renegade and I have a... murder problem."

Slaughterhouse 9: "Hello, renegade."

Renegade: "Okay, the truth is, I don't have a problem with it. It's just everyone else has a problem with my ability to murder everyone."

Jack Slash: "Amen Brother!"

Renegade: "It's something I'm goo- no, GREAT at. Why can't people just let me murder people no one will miss in peace?"

Jack Slash: "Preach it!"

Renegade: "At least I'll have the bounties from murdering several members of the Slaughterhouse 9 to keep me satisfied."

Jack Slash: "Exac- wait what?"

BLAM! EXPLODE! BULLET! BIOTIC NOISE! DIFFERENT BIOTIC NOISE!

*Not Many Seconds Later*

Taylor: They actually fell for a Murderers Anonymous support group... I've... got no words.

Sebastian: *Happily Looting Jack Slash's Crushed and gently smoking corpse*

**Omake –Driving Skills- Wzk**

Shepard: You don't even have a driver's license!

Taylor: I don't CARE! A DRUNK BABY can probably drive better than this!

Uber: Erm... can I...

Both: SHADDUP!

Leet: We're going to die, arn't we?

Uber: Ye~up.

*Edit: Later*

Leet: Are we dead yet?

Uber: I don't know... my hair seems to be floating upwards, so I assume we are.

Leet: Ok. I just didn't expect heaven to be so... cramped. And painful.

Uber: Yeah.

Shepard: Your hair is "floating upwards" because that's where the ground is. We're upside down.

Uber &amp; Leet: Oh.

Shepard: Nice driving by the way.

Taylor: ARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!

**Omake –Must never see the light of day- Wzk**

"Oh god, oh god, stop pulling my nails out!"

"Then spill! What's your objectives! Who are you working for!"

"We were order to kidnap Dinah. The Mayor's daughter. I don't know why, please don't ask me!"

"... that's only half an answer. I'm waiting."

"The pain, god, help me, someone help me..."

"... time's up."

"Coil! I'm working for Coil!"

"And there you have it, people of Brockton Bay. The reason for that firefight."

On the other side of the camera lens are three 'allies' who were thinking two things:

One, they were seriously reconsidering their life and partner choices. Two, this video must NEVER see the light of day...

**spencer1519 quip**

Shepard dancing…

"Only in the most dire of circumstances will Shepard ever be allowed to dance again. It is truly a weapon of last resort."

"Come on guys, it wasn't that bad."

"The speakers are on fire, Dinah is traumatized, and I had to swear everyone to secrecy!"

**Omake –S9 visit- by Nikas and General TheDyingTitan**

Jack looked at Clockblocker. "You are much calmer than most are when we come to visit."

Dennis snorted, "Yeah, your murderhobos are quite a piece of work. But I lived through the Protectorate "frustrating" Matriarch."

Jack tilted his head, "Frustrating as in?"

Clock nodded, "Yeah, big date. Just wrapping up when she took a sniper round to the face. Turns out the PRT hired the shooter."

"I can see how that would put a damper on futher festivities." Jack made a go on guesture with his knife.

"Yeah well, unfortunately that was all it did, she survived. And man was she pissed."

Jack sighed, "A fairly common urge, what was the result?"

Even with the full face mask Jack could see the thousand yard stare. "The water around the Protectorate platform was on fire, and PRT HQ was so covered in bugs it looked like a termite mound. Then she really got to work."

Bonesaw perked up next to Jack, "Oh goodie. Jack, we can't do anything to this one till I get him to finish that bedtime story!"

Half an hour later jack stands up from his chair made from carved up corpses, "It would be a shame to put an end to the art work that is going on here."

Bonesaw meanwhile was crying, muttering "Beautiful. So Beautiful." over and over again.

**Omake –Pirate Bay- by Wzk**

Matriach: Armsmaster, I have you in my cluches now! How do you feel about that?!

Armsy: *muffled protests*

Dragon: No! You fiend! What are you going to do with him?

Matriarch: ... Nothing actually.

Dragon: ...

Matriarch: ...

Dragon: Give him back?

Matriarch: Give me a moment.

Dragon: ... Why?

Matriarch: Downloading his lie detector and combat analysis software is taking a while.

Dragon: What?

Matriarch: And... Done. That's a nice copy protect you have there, Armsy. Took me all of 5 minutes to crack. Whelp, now it's freeware.

Armsy: *wideeyed horror*

Dragon: You can't do that! All proceeds should be credited to...

Matriarch: I'm a Villain remember?

Armsy: *muffled screams of anguish*

**Potato and Chips quip**

Saint: They knock me out, rummage through my computer systems, and then... and then... they steal me fucking cheese cake!?

**Omake –Sleepover- by Jackercracks**

Piggot: Wards, Heroes, everyone apart from Aegis. We are all going to stay at New Wave's house until Kid Win and Armsmaster build a better bug zapper.

Missy: Sleepover!

Gallant: I am not complaining.

Shadow Stalker: Why. Why do you do this to me. Am I being punished? He was bleeding out when I found him I swear.

Browbeat: Hey remember I exist?

Piggot: Because Panacea is the only person who can save you from Black Widow venom, so we're sticking with her until further notice.

Clockblocker: Bet you guys wish you had full-face masks now!

Piggot: On that note, all your costumes are being changed to give full body coverage so long as Matriach is in town. No exceptions.

Armsmaster: BUT! MY BEARD! IT MUST FLOW FREE!

**Omake –Dinah- by Jackercracks**

"Why are you selling uses of your powers and using the proceeds to build a massive mountain of teacups Dinah?"

"It makes the numbers better, two whole percent improvement against the end of the world!"

"... carry on then."

**Omake –Chatika- by Another Day**

It's flashes at first. Her earliest grabs at understanding.

"...So if we re-solder this line here?" Female young.

"Yes. We'll be able to power the interior lighting and still seem a derelict." Male. Young.

"Cool!" A pause. "Chatika hows this doing on your end."

Understanding fades a bit in the face of an order.

"7% reduction in stress on power facilities, Matriarch..."

"You're alive then?"

"So it would seem commander."

"Well... Shit."

"Ro-ad take me home. Too the place, where I belo-ong."

"Chatika?"

"Yes Miss Alcott?"

"Could you dim the lights a bit?"

"Of course Miss Alcott."

"Th-thank you." A yawn

"...a good friend." A whisper.

"She's not sleeping well."

"No Paige, she is not."

"Schematics are finished and test systems show excellent progress. Unfortunately the albatross would require orbital facilities for several key componants..."

5

Leviathan is approaching.

Leviathan is approaching.

4

Leviathan is approaching!

"Matriarch! Please report to the ops center."

"All operatives! Please report to the ops center."

3

"Chatika.

Keelah sel'lai."

"Keelah Sel'lai."

2

"Keelah Sel'lai."

"Keelah Sel'lai."

1

"Chatika."

"Keela-..."

**Omake –Armsmasters new Look- by Sambonhil**

I'm sorry Colin, but we have to change your identity to keep you safe. don't worry, I've already taken the liberty of coming up with a new outfit.

Hands him a dunce hat with a mask attached to the bottom.

"You're new name is Shamemaster."

"..."

"It was the only way I could get them to back off, also, your armors been replced with a Jesters costume".

**Omake –Least Bad End- by Mr Tebes**

Oh god...my head. OH GOD, my everything hurts! I thought as I returned to the waking world, not recognizing a damn bit of it. "Ugh..whar... where am I?"

"Toybox. And you are by far the craziest person we've ever allowed into our pocket dimension. Wouldnta done it if dragon ere didn't say she'd keep you in line."

Well, that actually makes me even more confused. "Where who? Huh?"

I recognized Dragon's voice as she spoke next. "I brought you to Toybox while the rest of your team deals with the aftermath of Leviathan. Someone called Vates was convinced something really bad would happen if I didn't take you here before you woke up. She said I needed to get you to Cranial as soon as possible."

Why would I need- was as far as I thought before the memories came over me like a tidal wave. It took me a moment to realize the new found ringing in my ears was actually my screams.

"Fucking hell, girl." The woman, Cranial I guessed, said after I stopped. "Anyways, Dragon says you've got the majority of his memories in ya, and I'm here to get them outta ya, before they get too muddled. So sit back, shut the fuck up, and let me get them outta ya so you can go be crazy in a universe I ain't in."

"I...what?" I asked, calming myself down.

"Eh... I'm gonna download yer memories, including his, and sepperate em from yours, so you have yerself a hard drive of Renegade. After that I'll assume yer gonna build him a body so the memories can interact with things, ya know... like a real boy. Now stop asking questions, the more time ya spend not transferring yer memories, tha more they degrade."

I... I'll be able to get him back... "Ok... I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"That 'a girl. Now, the more you focus on his memories, the more clearly they'll show up when this is done so..."

*****Authors Note**

On Spacebattles where Exiled was originally started, the readership offered the above Omakes and quips. Full credit to them given as I thought I would share. Some elements of these Omakes have even made it into either Exiled, or Gatecrash.


End file.
